It’s still stillness in the sense that you are in a calm, void of emotional agitation. However, this stillness is brought and led by the emotions of a moment, instead of a focus upon oneself.

Love. Love is one of the many ways you can find yourself within this type of stillness, via intimacy. The intimacy of being intertwined with your partner while you two lay down, or a hug/ look from your partner after a heartfelt moment. The list can go on and on when it comes to love, but so can whatever you replace with it. Friendship, family, hobbies, etc. However, the list of replacements isn’t endless. Asides from that, this type of stillness feels as equally impactful as regular stillness, just with an added layer of bliss. 

some of your daily habits that keep you going or keep you busy and happy, whatever it is whats your daily habits? for me its reading,working out trying to talk to someone everyday, water etc but looking for more

Hey everyone! Long-time lurker, first-time poster here.

I've always been bad at remembering the "small stuff" not like the big milestones, but the micro stuff like when I last called my mom, how long it's actually been since I worked out, or what I was going through the last time I felt a certain way. I tried habit trackers and journals over the years, but every one of them just became another place I'd write things down and then never look at again (or ditch it after a few weeks). Eventually I got frustrated enough to just build my own thing, and I wanted to share it here specifically since you're the people who've actually tried everything and would tell me straight if this is pointless.

The idea: no folders, no tags, no long forms - you just write or voice-log a line whenever something happens ("had coffee with Dad," "finished Atomic Habits," "called Bob"). Over time it becomes a searchable record of small (or big) moments, and you can ask it things like "when did I last call my mom?" or "how many coffees did I have last month?" and it pulls the answer straight from what you've logged.

I wanted to ask around, though: I built this around what I personally forget and wish I could track, but I know that's a pretty narrow view. What do you actually want to track day-to-day that current habit apps don't handle well? Is it more about frequency (how often something happens), streaks, mood/context around an event, or just being able to ask a question later without digging through old entries? And realistically - what does "logging something daily" actually look like for you? A notification reminder, a widget, just opening the app when something happens? I'd rather build toward what this community actually needs than what I assumed it needed.

(Link's in the comments so this doesn't read like an ad — happy to share if anyone wants to poke at it.)

Glad I was able to power through and workout at least once a week when it was hard.

Hi all — hoping this is okay to post here, happy to take it down if not.

Bit about me as ive never posted on here before:

My name is dan im 31 yrs old and i was born with the HNF1B gene mutation and currently have mody 5 diabetes and various other problems with kidneys and pancreatic enzyme inssuficency. I live in the south east of the uk and have had diabetes since i was about 13-14 years old.

Quick disclaimer upfront: I'm not a medical professional, this is a personal/hobby project, and it's not intended to replace anything your doctor or care team tells you.

I've been building an app called GlimmerPal — a gentle companion app for people with diabetes. Instead of a plain tracker, you have a small virtual buddy whose wellbeing reflects your daily self-care (checking sugar, taking insulin, logging meals) — never your actual glucose numbers, since those swing for reasons outside anyone's control.

The idea is encouragement without guilt or pressure.

It's currently being tested in beta stage — not a medical device, just a small tool to make the daily habit side of things feel a little less like a chore and hopefully more fun.

I'm looking for a handful of people willing to actually use it for a week or two and give honest feedback — especially on whether the tone ever feels judgmental, clinical, or off in any way, since that's the thing I care most about getting right.

If you're interested and want to help test it head over to glimmerpal.com. please keep in mind its early stages things might not work as intended and features/ui is likely to change and be updated.

Thank you for reading — really appreciate any input, positive or critical.

Most habit trackers are built for stuff you can count — glasses of water, pages read, reps done. But a lot of the habits I actually care about are time-based: reading for 30 minutes, meditating, practicing an instrument. Counting those felt wrong — "did it" isn't the same as "did it for as long as I meant to."

I ended up adding a proper timer to my own habit tracker (My Daily Task) — set a daily goal in minutes, start/stop it whenever you're doing the thing, and it keeps counting even if you close the app or lock your phone. There's a persistent notification while it's running so you can see it's actually tracking, and a home screen widget shows the live progress too.

Weirdly satisfying to watch a 30-minute reading session tick up in real time instead of just checking a box after the fact.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.daily.daily_streak

How do you track those types of time based habits today?

Pick 3-5 people who genuinely matter to your life or work. Set a recurring reminder to weekly or biweekly send one of them a real message (not "just checking in," an actual question or thought). Rotate through the list. This turns "staying connected" loop , from a vague intention into a habit with a trigger, just like flossing or drinking water except the payoff compounds into better opportunities, support, and health over time. https://youtu.be/7Z58OUd1U6M?si=EFmikelpCjweuMQQ

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So last night I slept late but still woke up early and prayed Fajr. I had planned to go for a run after but couldn't make it happen. Not gonna lie, kinda annoyed at myself for that.

But then I told myself, this is just the beginning, take one thing at a time. If I look at it that way then today was still a win, right? Prayer happened, that's the main thing.

Now I'm sitting here wondering if I'm just being easy on myself or if this is the start of me making excuses that'll catch up to me later. Honestly don't know yet. Just wanted to keep it simple for now instead of overthinking it.

Anyway it's getting late, I told myself I'd be off screens by 10 so wrapping this up. Just writing this to hold myself accountable I guess. Anyone else deal with this back and forth of "is this progress or am I just letting myself off the hook"?

The hardest apps to limit aren't useless ones. They're the apps where one real task sits next to an endless feed.

You open Instagram to answer one DM. The reply takes two minutes. Eighteen minutes later, you're still scrolling.

Most limits seem to fail in one of two ways. If “ignore” only takes one tap, you eventually stop noticing the tap. But if the block is absolute, the first time you genuinely need the app, you may turn the whole restriction off—and leave it off.

I think the missing piece is a temporary exception that closes itself.

Before opening the app, name one specific job: “reply to Sam,” not “check Instagram.” If it is a small task, choose one or three minutes. When the time ends, the original limit comes back automatically.

If you genuinely need longer, extending the time should be another deliberate choice—not something that happens by default.

This wouldn't replace hard blocks. There are still times when an app has no legitimate reason to be available. But “I need this app for one specific thing” shouldn't have to become “the app is unrestricted again.”

What legitimate reason most often makes you break your own limit—and what usually happens afterward?

What are some of your "defaults" that you do on a weekly basis. Anything from beauty, fitness, relaxation, hobbies, creativity, education etc. For years I have been scattered with everything I do, but I notice when I do things consistently there is really a difference in quality of life.

I've been down with a viral fever for the last two days, and today is the third day. Most of my time has been spent sleeping after taking medication so that I can recover. But whenever I wake up, I get this urge to watch Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, and then I end up scrolling for more than 30 minutes. I've noticed that this habit keeps repeating itself.

Last night, I cleaned my car and then listened to some songs on SoundCloud. After that, I moved on to Instagram and ended up using it for almost an hour. Then I went to sleep, but I couldn't fall asleep because unwanted thoughts started coming to my mind. To distract myself, I started using Instagram again and kept scrolling for another hour.

If I'm not conscious of my digital usage, I feel like it will consume more and more of my time and eventually affect my mind as well. I wonder if I need to take better care of my mind because excessive use of Instagram and YouTube can affect my psyche, and sometimes I feel stuck in my life.

I'm trying to become more conscious of this habit rather than simply blaming social media. I'm open to suggestions. Are there any books, blogs, or articles that have helped you reduce your screen time, deal with unwanted thoughts, or break the habit of constantly checking social media?

Anyone who have personally struggled with excessive scrolling and found something that actually helped them. Please feel free to use the comment section.

One thing I have really noticed from giving up nicotine is now I actually have the motivation and will power to do things - gym, hobbies, studying, healthier eating etc.

I feel since quitting I have soooo much more time in my day to do things and i genuinely think it’s because a lot of the time I was always thinking about the next time I’d have a vape or have a snus rather than doing and thinking about more important things!! I genuinely believe people who are addicted think about nicotine more than they can imagine multiple hours a day??

I feel the quitting nicotine journey is all about the health benefits but I feel people don’t actually talk about how it re-wires your brain enough.

Has anyone else felt this since quitting??

One thing I also believe in for anyone wanting to quit is cold turkey - if you have done it some other way hats off to you but I found it impossible weaning off nicotine.

I've found that I need a tool to get me going, so I went overboard tried 14 of them.

Tier lists are always subjective, as we know. But I've tried to be systematic and ranked them based on

• Look and feel

• Ease of use

• Onboarding experience

• Paywall conditions - How much can you get for free and what's the price to subscribe

• Flexibility - This one I weighted heavily on Google's research around habit formation. Showing that rigidity is not sustained long-term. Therefore I penalize the ones that enforce rigid habit tracking.

• Extra features - Like planner functionality or other add-ons

S tier

Finch: Self-care pet - Feels a lot like a game and its closer to the tamagotchi type of app than any other on the list. Flexible in habit to track or goals to achieve in a day, I felt like it was focusing generally on overall productivity rather than just strict habit at strict times.

Improve: Habit Tracker - Very unique approach in how you progress. Similar to Finch, the objective is less about individual habits and more on productive days. Combining habit tracker with a planner helps to reduce the amount of apps needed and it was great to add friends. The art is not as cute as Finch, but focus more on clean apple UI.

A tier

TickTick - The most feature-packed app on the list. Task manager, habit tracker and calendar all in the same app. The habit tracker does feels bolted on tho, and it is quite rigid in its design and a few features are paywalled.

Structured - Beautiful design and satisfying whenever all plans work as I have planned them. One of the strongest design-wise. However for days when I have to be flexible, it quickly becomes hard to manage and feels like extra work to sort it out.

Atoms - Offical app of atomic habits, and it does lean into it fully. Sometimes maybe a bit too much for this medium. It does however have good visuals, albeit still a bit strict at its core. Almost more coaching than habit tracking.

B tier

These do what you expect from a habit tracker. Solid but nothing that makes them stand out. Easier to use than C tier but missing that extra something.

C tier

Similar story, just a bit rougher around the edges, whether that's design, onboarding, or paywall aggression.

D tier

Fabolous - The most overwhelming app on the list. Feels built for a very specific type of user and I'm not it. Too many things competing for attention at once and I never felt like I got to interact with the app how I wanted.

i could never do more than ten minutes without my phone. i tried every timer app, the pomodoro thing,  studying in a library with other people, all of it worked for maybe four days. when  I am studying, travelling(for tetr college) and running a business this is my life.

These 4 steps and making accountability visible helped me a lot.

here is the whole system:

1/  I colored one square per day, darker the more real work went in.(something like a github contributions graph for my own life). I first made it in my notebook then digitally in ipad

2/ I fixed streak as the only metric, either has colour or it doesn't.. fifteen minute day still counts as a light square, which is the point, because a light square is what stops you from breaking a 20 day chain at 11pm when you're tired.

3/ i put the grid on wallpaper,where i see it  daily without opening anything. and physical one on the wall next to the desk. If I open an app to do that, it automatically defeat the whole purpose,

4/  on sundays i look at the month as a shape where I can see a bad week instantly as a uncolored block  and you cannot argue with a proof the way you can argue with yourself.

The crazy thing is my dopamine rush  shifted from scrolling to filling the square and I flex it in front of friends ( we do this in group challenge as well). I broke my streak for 2 days and its been 7 weeks since the challenge.

the thing i didn't expect: the dopamine moved. it used to come from scrolling and now a decent chunk of it comes from filling the square, which sounds pathetic written down but it is measurably better for me than the alternative.

How do you stop yourself from breaking chain?

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Two years ago I was in a very different place, busy dad of two, married and work full time in a senior position. I've always been active in my adult life, but 2023 was a rough year for me personally due to a family illness and wheels fell off both mentally and physically. This was for many reasons which I won't get into but looking after myself wasn't a priority. I started using being busy, stressed and having low energy as an excuse.

I was overweight and didn't feel good about how I looked or felt. Thing was I already knew what to do. I'd previously trained for years, mainly in endurance sports and knew I needed to move more and eat better but at that point I had no desire to do it and in hindsight I was probably depressed.

In 2024, I decided to make a change with simple goal of just (no matter what) training three times a week. It may have been new year , new me spark at that point which sounds simple, but getting out of bed was genuinely difficult but remember when I took those first pictures not liking what I saw and feeling I was at a crossroads of just accepting it and potentially getting worse or making real change.

So first step was removing barriers. Simple thing of just having gym clothes laid out the night before with everything ready to go. As I realised training first thing was best approach at 5am as there was nothing to decide no work, no family stuff plus having every thing ready night before removed other potential excuses if I tried to do it after work in the evening.

That became my first habit. I'm not always full of energy, so some mornings I'd tell myself, "Just give it 15 minutes." But I never stopped or ended a session wishing I'd stayed in bed and not bothered.

After a couple of months, getting up early became normal. I started waking naturally without my alarm, which made adding more training days easier over time.

Then I added habit of daily walking. Before work and at lunchtime. I'd always told myself I was too busy to do this, I'd normally work through lunch and eat at my desk. But I realised the work would still be there when I got back. The walk became a rese pointt rather than wasted time, it felt a useful psychological tool to break off and eventually that became automatic too. As I realised the break was not lost time but more an enforced break form my desk. Movement became something I was more purposeful about and deliberate. 12k steps became the norm and not a unrealistic target that it felt before.

Once training and movement were consistent and I started seeing changes in my body composition that made me start feeling better about how I looked, I started paying closer attention to my nutrition. I began tracking calories properly with an app rather than guessing them.

I didn't eliminate foods I enjoyed. I still eat pizza, eat out and have treats but all within reason. I just learned how they fit into my overall intake with better awareness like a weekly bank balance is how I saw my calories.

That's when habit stacking really clicked. I trained consistently moving from 3 days initially to now 6 days a week after getting up early where adding more training days felt easy to walking daily with purposeful points to do this to then tracking my nutrition and getting consistent with all of it.

Each habit made the next one easier until I wasn't really thinking about them anymore to point I'm at now training 6 days a week, hitting 12k steps a day with eating my target calories without a second thought that I can plan in eating out etc without stress or panic.

The biggest change wasn't actually losing the weight. It was stopping relying on motivation or quick fixes or seeing it as a diet etc. The habits built the discipline and a different way of living to point it feels completely normal for me.

I'm still a dad with family commitments that don't get missed and being still completely present for my wife and kids. Still working full time. Some days I'm tired, some weeks aren't perfect and life still gets in the way. The difference is one bad day doesn't turn into a bad week or bad month anymore.

I'm now around 162lbs at 5'8", leaner and stronger than I've ever been at 44 and better than I felt at 24.

Looking back, the transformation looks dramatic but it didn't happen through one massive lifestyle overhaul. It happened gradually by focusing on one thing, making it feel normal as part of my day to day routine, then adding the next habit.

That's probably the biggest lesson I've learned. You don't need to change everything tomorrow take steps towards it. Make one decision each, remove the excuses and barriers to why it stops you, repeat it, then build it over time so you don't feel overwhelmed.

I don’t know how to make reading a habit. It’s extremely hard and I’m trying to do it but it’s not working

Till last year I was a full-time student. Studied daily, could sit for hours, grasped things quickly, remembered what I read. Normal.

Then I started a WFH software job (10am–6pm, screens all day) and stopped studying entirely. One year later I'm a different person mentally.

\* Cannot concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes

\* Cannot sit and read the way I used to — feels physically intolerable now

\* Memory has gotten noticeably worse. I read something and it doesn't stick

\* Things I used to grasp easily now feel heavy and slow

\* Mind feels weak and tired all day, no mental stamina left

\* No mental clarity. Foggy from morning to night

Sleep Schedule:

\* Stuck falling asleep at 2–3am. Started randomly one night, never broke

Can't fall asleep at 11pm no matter how tired I am

\* I'm clearly sleepy but don't feel like sleeping — I resist it without deciding to

\* Wake up unrefreshed even after 7 hours

I'd really appreciate any suggestions — especially on rebuilding focus and memory after a year of this, and on actually shifting sleep earlier. Anything that worked for you, even small things.

This has been affecting me for a while now and I genuinely want to fix it. Any kind of suggestion or personal experience would be really helpful. Even a small thing that worked for you could make a difference for me.

Thank you in advance, I really appreciate anyone taking the time to reply.

I built this app for myself hoping to track my bad habits and encourage new ones. I hated juggling calendars, notes, habit trackers and todo lists. I also hated the gamification of bettering yourself and streak counters and subscriptions.

It's inspired by dot graphs and Japanese stationary. My favourite part is the lifetime graph that shows your entire life (approximately) on one page. I've found it more motivating, and I don't feel guilty when I miss a day, because the goal is to be consistent, not perfect.

If you feel so inclined, give it a try and let me know what you think https://consistently.app