Individual "Self timer" to guided meditations list

[madlion]

In the Track your mindfulness category on Fitbit home screen, may I suggest you add a "self timer" option to your list of guided meditations. This feature would allow the user to set a time for how long they meditate, and do it on their own in silence, without having to listen to a guided recording. Maybe just have a nice chime when the time is up.

[g_pack17]

Hi I am here to second this suggestion. I already have a meditation practice and I don't want or need the guided programs the app offers. What I would like is to be able to track what I am already doing in the app.

[HOBinthewoods]

I will third this suggestion!

I'm thrilled to have the "mindfulness" component added to the fitbit activity tracking, dashboard, and tiles on the app. Thrilled!!! I've wanted to start a habit of meditating and mindfulness for several years so this might be the kick-in-the-butt I needed! 

However, I tried doing a 5 minute "Relax" session with my Fitbit and that was not recognized as Mindfulness minutes. That seems like an obvious thing to merge. I don't want to have look at my phone to get credit for my Mindfulness Minutes. It would be better yet and fabulous to be able to log our own minutes, as we can with exercise, without watching my phone. I understand that it would be tricky for the Fitbit to automatically recognize the activity and keep it as separate from napping or sitting still while reading (usually my lowest heart rate during waking hours). But it would be nice if it could happen away from screen time. 

I also think it is foolish to link the Mindfulness minutes into Exercise minutes. Yes, meditating is an "activity" that is connected to health and wellness, but I for one, would like to keep these activity minutes separate. 

Again, I am thrilled to have this addition to my Fitbit life. I'm an Apple person for phone and computer and dream of affording an Apple Watch. Though I really like the smaller device on my wrist that is my Charge 3, as compared to the Apple Watch models. The more things Fitbit adds, the longer you will keep me. 

Great start with this addition, but there is bit of room for improvement!

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @madlion, and thanks for taking the time to share this suggestion about adding a "self timer" option to the list of guided meditations. We rely on feedback like yours to help us develop products and features that we know our community wants to see. If this suggestion receives votes from other customers and gains popularity, it will be shared internally with various teams at Fitbit. To learn more about how Fitbit decides which suggestions get developed, visit our FAQs.

Watch this space for status updates. In the meantime, try visiting Health & Wellness to talk with other members about all things health and fitness.

[aniaustin]

I also have my own practice and would like to log my meditations.

[FraidNot]

+1 for this idea.

the mindfulness section is actually unusable as it currently stands for anyone who is already practicing mindfulness and has moved beyond the guided meditations that the app currently provides or does not wish to listen to music while they meditate. 

So having an in built timer would be brilliant. Preferably one that gives you control over the duration.

Even better would be to have that timer incorporated with the devices so that you can start and end it on the device and use the silent alarm to alert when time is up. (Perhaps this is already a feature of the newer devices I’m not sure I’m on an older Charge)

It would also be useful to simply be able to log an amount of time.

thanks!

[PacificaN]

I also would like the option of tracking my own mindfulness sessions.  The guided ones are nice, but a timer with a chime is great and just being able to input - I do a group practice daily. 

[Carolokc]

I would love a self timer for mindfulness. I already use the Calm and Ten Percent Happier apps for meditation. Is there a way to get credit for the meditation I’m already doing?

And I agree that I don’t want mindfulness to count as exercise minutes. 

[saf120]

Yes!!!!  I have my own regular, daily meditation practice and cannot track it with FitBit, because of the requirement to use some prefabricated “guided” meditation.  I find it truly bizarre.  Also, can we track all biometrics during self-regulated mindfulness activities?  Seems simple, but maybe not?  If it weren’t for my own regular practice, I’d be even more frustrated.

[SlimPickens81]

Agreed. I also would find it really helpful to be able to integrate my practice with Insight Timer. 

[GraceB78]

This! I have no interest in somebody else's guided meditations, I just want to use my own the same way I've been doing for years!

[saf120]

Agreed.

[CGassie]

Yes, I came here to add this exact suggestion. I just want to track how much time I've sat in silence. I don't do guided meditations. 

Thanks! 

[bhouse46]

Another vote for self timers.  Fitbit has helped me remain consistent as it tracks my activity and adding ability to track meditation was great.  As it is it just clutters my screen because like others my meditation practice is beyond the beginner programs.

[6ladea11day]

Vote for self timers!  Would like to incorporate my own practice and be able to track it.

[saf120]

Yes. Self-timers with biometrics. It would be interesting to see how
biometrics (HR, etc) change during meditation.

[g_pack17]

Yeah when the timer showed up in my home screen I assumed this is what it would be. I was curious to see what the biometrics were, how they would maybe change from session to session or based on the time of day. 

It makes no sense this feature isn’t there. When I track my workouts I just go to the gym and do what I do without needing to follow a prefabbed workout from Fitbit. I’m unsure why the mindfulness tracker wouldn’t be configured the same way. 

[jallen57.301]

Yes I want to track mindfulness activities that I do without using the guided meditations on Fitbit.

[gregoryv]

I would also like to be able to log mindfulness activities.  It would be even better if Fitbit could sync with the 10% Happier app, as I have a paid membership for the guided mindfulness sessions.

[tadea]

Yes, I fully agree with this suggestion! As someone who already meditates, all I need is a timer. The guided meditations offered through the FitBit app are great, but an option to just have a self timer would be ideal.

[redconfetti]

Yes. Guided meditations are nice, but I can’t use this logging feature unless it has a silent option.

[Carolokc]

You can actually turn down the volume on any of the meditations and it will act as a timer. Once you stop it, it logs the meditation logging all of your time spent, even over 60 minutes. It doesn’t matter which guided meditation you pick.

Carol Ringrose Alexander

[saf120]

Interesting. Does it also log biometrics, i.e. heart rate, etc.?

[Carolokc]

It logs your heart rate with a graph, session time and your reflection of each session.

[saf120]

Awesome; I'll try it. Thanks!

[Albbills]

Not only do I agree but I posted a suggestion on how to do this with the biometric data collected. It would be easy using that data to not only record time, but biometric data as well to subjectively allow for a measurement of the depth of the practice. This data could also be used by an enterprising grad student to develop a scientific objective measurement of practice in the future. Let's keep up the pressure so that Fitbit will make some meditation updates. I volunteer to be a guinea pig to help Fitbit with this.