Pause 15 seconds and picture something you love before you open an app

Miist, a singer-songwriter, says: "I had somehow created an unconscious habit of reaching for my phone." Her answer is a small rule for the moment before she opens an app. She waits 15 seconds and thinks of something she is grateful for. She says: "Doing that releases dopamine and makes you feel connected to the world around you."

The method is simple enough to try today. When you feel your thumb moving toward a feed, stop and leave the phone untouched for 15 seconds. Use the time to deliberately picture a person, animal, or memory you love, rather than letting your mind drift anywhere it wants. To get started, she suggests the scene she uses: imagine sitting in a comfortable chair at sunset, looking at someone or something you love, with everything still.

She describes managing thoughts as being like a dog on a leash. A dog on a leash can wander, but only within limits you set. In the same way, she says, you can steer yourself toward gratitude, favorite activities, or a better time with people you love.

When she tried it, Miist pictured her new puppy playing with Dolce, her older dog who had died. Both were doing little bunny hops and looked very happy. She wondered why she had pictured "a scene that could never happen," and she guessed it was because she missed Dolce and thought the two dogs would have loved each other if they had met.

To remember the pause, she uses a visible cue. Her kindness cube, a small paper cube with six sides that lists 15-second actions like smile, say a kind word, or act silly, comes with three removable stickers that say simply 15. Put one on your phone or anywhere you need the reminder, and let it be the signal to take the grateful pause before you tap.