This App Broke My Instagram Habit—One Deep Breath at a Time.

Just three months ago, my hand instinctively tapped to open Instagram every time I unlocked my phone. Even if I was picking my phone up to check the weather or set a timer, I somehow always ended up on social media.

As a full-fledged member of Gen Z , I can attest this problem is not unique to me. My roommates all go through phases of deleting Instagram or TikTok from their phone, only to catch themselves scrolling through the sites on their laptop later that day and then redownloading it a couple of weeks later. Recent research attribute this sort of habit-forming behavior to a the release of dopamine that comes with a social media visit, the apps triggering our reward centers and resulting in habits that are disconcertingly hard (but not impossible) to break.

Enter One Sec, an app designed to “stop mindless scrolling.”

The Trouble With Mindfulness

I’m a chronically anxious person, which means that mindfulness and meditation have been suggested to me countless times. Sometimes it’s a doctor asking if I had tried taking deep breaths when I felt a pain in my stomach. (Yes, I have). Or it’s a family friend, telling me how meditating twice a day totally changed their life.

I’ve tried all of the meditation apps—Calm, Headspace, and Insight Timer to name a few; there are literally thousands more—but nothing has ever stuck. Even in my yoga classes, I lie down for Savasana and my mind clouds with thoughts about the day, what’s to come, and things I forgot to do.

I want to be good at meditating because I know mindfulness can help me manage that out-of-control feeling I often get. But as a busy college student, it’s never felt like a realistic—or easily prioritized—goal.

So imagine my surprise when I discovered that the answer to my mindfulness aversion could be found through an app that harnesses and redirects that habit to better my well-being.

How One Sec Works

With One Sec installed, whenever I click on Instagram, a black screen pops up and asks that I take a deep breath. Blue-green ombré flows over the black for three seconds, prompting me to inhale. The color dissipates over the course of my inhalation, signaling that it’s time for me to release. My phone vibrates in accordance with the breathing exercise, adding an extra element of satisfaction.

As the breathing prompt disappears, another asks if I still want to open Instagram.

Oftentimes, the answer is no, I actually don’t.

Breaking My Habit—And Building a New One

Now, each time I tap into Instagram, One Sec shows me how many times I’ve tried to open the app in the last 24 hours and how much time it has been since I last used it.

When I first started using One Sec, I was disturbed to see I was opening Instagram at least 50 (!) times a day. But, after about a week, it was rewarding to see this number cut down to 10 to 15 within a 24 hour period. Compared to my first week, my Instagram use is down by 40 percent. At this rate, One Sec predicts I will save six and a half days worth of time this year.

One Sec gave me the nudge I needed to get off Instagram and back into my body. Consider it my version of the dopamine detox.

Because One Sec demands a moment of pause, your brain begins to build the muscles of awareness and mindfulness, says clinical psychologist Leslie Daly, PhD.

“It almost redirects your brain away from the pull to get the dopamine hit, reinforcement, or validation,” says Daly. She says the app is just a way of making you think, “Is this what I really want right now?”

My Issues With One Sec

While I immediately loved the concept of One Sec, there were still some practical problems. For example, if I wanted to leave Instagram to quickly respond to a text, I would have to go through the entire deep breathing exercise to reopen the app.

For $19.99/year, you can get a version of One Sec that allows for “quick-app switching.” This means the app will allow me to go back to an app within the same minute I left it without being prompted to take another deep breath. This is especially helpful if you need to quickly respond to a text or pick up a phone call.

The paid version also allows you to use One Sec with multiple apps. When I first downloaded One Sec, I was prompted to choose one “target app” where I wanted to add mindfulness to my routine. I chose Instagram, so One Sec walked me through a tutorial of how to set up this breathing exercise to pop-up when I clicked on Instagram.

Once I upgraded, I quickly set the breathing exercise up for Snapchat, as I realized I was now using it more that I had redirected my attention from Instagram. I also recently set up One Sec for LinkedIn because I noticed myself instinctively clicking on it as I obsess over getting a job after graduation.

More Mindfulness, Please

Adding these little moments of deep breath and mindfulness to your day through an app might seem minute, but just like moments spent on social medial, they add up.

“A series of those little moments is how we live a deliberate, conscious life,” says Daly. “It may feel small and trivial, but added up it’s kind of important.”

One Sec has also made me more mindful about how I want to prioritize the time I spend on my phone. I’ve noticed myself playing more games on my phone, which helps calm my nervous system and pull my brain away from the things causing me anxiety. I also do more reading on my phone, which is a more productive use of my time.

Most importantly, I’m happy to be cutting down my screen time in a way that adds some peace to my days. I find the way that one deep breath can calm my body to be almost magical; my jaw unclenches, my shoulders relax, and my head clears. It’s like quickly pressing the reset button on my body.

I know if I will ever be able to complete a 30-minute meditation, but seeing the positive effect these deep breaths have on me is motivation to try a five-minute version, especially if my mind is racing.

So, take it from me, the girl who avoided mindfulness and meditation at all costs: they work. It is just a matter of finding the most effective way to integrate these pauses into your daily routine.