Setting up your phone for a calm session

Your phone is probably the tool that opens the session and also the thing most likely to interrupt it. A banner arrives, a group chat lights up, and the calm minute is gone.

A few steps taken before you sit make a real difference. This page gives you a two-minute checklist and a plain explanation of why it helps.

Why do notifications matter for a quiet session?

A notification does not need to be opened to cause a pull. A 2015 study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance found that receiving a phone notification alone impaired performance on an attention-demanding task, even without picking up the phone¹.

That was a laboratory task with students, and the authors put the effect down to mind wandering, so it does not describe every situation. It is still a good reason to quiet the phone for a few minutes.

Try this: a two-minute phone checklist

Do it before you sit, not while you are trying to relax.

1. Switch on do-not-disturb or a focus mode. Allow calls from the people you must hear from.
2. Check the volume and your earphones. Play a few seconds of sound to confirm.
3. Check the battery. If it is low, plug in nearby.
4. Open the session or timer you want, and make sure it is ready to start.
5. Put the phone face down on a stable surface, within reach.
6. Take two slow breaths, then begin.

The meditation timer is a handy page to keep ready, and what you type stays in your browser.

What about the apps on my phone?

Keep it light. A crowded screen makes starting harder. Place the one thing you will use on your first screen, or bookmark the page in your browser.

If you use a particular app, read what its provider says about it first. Our guide on what the official sources describe about Miracle of Mind is a good place to begin. If you want to know whether it works with larger text or screen readers, finding accessibility information before downloading an app shows what to look for.

Making the phone work for real days

On a busy day, you can set a repeating reminder with a clear label, such as “Sit, three minutes”. Put it at the time of your cue, not at an hour you hope to be free.

If notifications keep tugging at you, start with the phone in another room and a kitchen timer in your hand. A silent session with a timer is a perfectly good session. You will find other options in other practical resources on this site.

If you share a phone with a child or a parent, ask them to wait outside the door for the length of the session. A short sentence at the start helps.

When to be careful

Do not use your phone while driving or riding. If a session brings up distress, dizziness or painful memories, it is fine to stop, and to talk to a doctor or counsellor. Our support page lists where to start.

Where to go next

To find a quiet slot in the first place, read finding a quiet minute in a busy home. If your plans fall apart, a backup plan for a disrupted day keeps the habit alive. All the guides on this theme are on the keeping a practice going hub.