If you can't get away from a computer screen to meditate, then you might as well use that screen to clear your mind.
A new desktop game called Viridi is all about growing succulents, those pretty little plants that require only a bit of water to survive. And just like meditating while making a cup of coffee can help you feel more present-minded, tending to these digital plants offers a seriously calming experience.
The game lets you choose, plant and water your own succulent garden in the corner of your computer screen, like the Tamagotchi games of yore. But watch out! If you get frantic and water your succulents too much, they'll die... and you'll anger the little snail who slowly circles the pot.
To play, you first, pick a succulent:
Then plant it in the pot:
Water slowly, and watch it grow!
"I asked myself, what is my ideal happy place game?" the project's creative lead Zoe Vartanian told Fast Company. "And I realized I wanted to make some beautiful little world where everything's pleasant, and you can just hang out there, and tend to things."
More and more people are making it a point to create such moments of mindfulness throughout the workday -- and getting creative in how they do so. Meditation, for example, doesn't always have to involve sitting in a dark room. Walking meditation involves carefully observing your own walking action as a way to focus your mind. And while other mindful alternatives like coffee-making meditation or growing digital succulents are not the most traditional forms of the practice, they're small, simple actions that can provide purposeful pauses in your day.
You can download Viridi for free online. A desktop version is available for now, but iOS and Android versions are coming soon.
H/T Fast Company
For more on fitting meditation into your busy day, watch this video:
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