Here you will find answers to most commonly asked questions about Stillness Buddy.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

Not at all. The main premise behind Stillness Buddy is that taking short pauses during the day will help you to maintain your presence and mindfulness. At the same time, these pauses are very brief so that they won't get in the way of what you are doing. 

You can of course, reduce the frequency and duration of the pauses, according to your preferences and schedule. And if you are really, really busy that you can't stop when a pause comes up, then you can always cancel that particular break.

There are many people around me where I work. Will using Stillness Buddy make me stand out?

No. The exercises in Stillness Buddy have been designed in a way that they can be carried out very discreetly. You can do them in the middle of a busy office, without anybody noticing that you are taking a very important moment to re-connect with your own stillness.

If they do notice, as a result of the peace and joy that you embody, then you may want to tell them about Stillness Buddy!

I have no previous experience of practicing stillness. Will Stillness Buddy be suitable for me?

Absolutely! You don't need any previous experience to become more mindful and aware of the present moment. All you need is your willingness to bring your attention back into the now.

Will Stillness Buddy conflict with my religious or spiritual beliefs / practice?

The "Original" version of Stillness Buddy contains exercises that simply lead you to have the direct experience and practice of inner peace and stillness. The exercises do not include religious beliefs or dogmas of any kind, so they are suitable for people regardless of their spiritual or religious background. They only point to what is self-evident, in your own experience.

We also have a  "Stress Reduction" version for people who want to use the program purely to feel more relaxed and calmer, without the spiritual side of things.

We have other versions for people with certain spiritual practices / beliefs.

What are Moments of Stillness and why are they important?

These are short pauses, (typically lasting from 5 to 25 seconds), occurring after every 10 - 20 minutes of working at the computer. During a Moment of Stillness, a meditation, stillness or relaxation exercise is displayed. Several simple exercises are included and they can be performed discreetly even in the midst of a busy office.

Even though this break is very short in duration, a Moment of Stillness really helps you to be still inside, rest for a few moments and then continue working again after a few seconds. Moments of Stillness also help to prevent muscle fatigue. 

What are Mindfulness Pauses and why are they important?

Mindfulness Pauses are longer pauses, normally configured to last 2-3 minutes, occurring after every hour or so of continuously working at the computer. During a Mindfulness Pause, a meditation, stillness or relaxation exercise will be displayed. Several simple exercises are included and they can be performed discreetly even in the midst of a busy office.

By following these exercises, you will be able to become still at a much deeper level, get in touch with a profound sense of peace and your body will have a chance to replenish itself. You will then be able to continue doing your work with greater awareness, alert and yet relaxed.

Can Stillness Buddy run on Macs?

USING STILLNESS BUDDY

How often will I get Moments of Stillness" and Mindfulness Pauses?

You can customize how frequently you want to have these short breaks. By default, a moment of stillness lasts 30 seconds and occurs every 20 minutes or so, whereas a mindfulness pause lasts 2 minutes, occurring every hour or so. 

Why do pauses sometimes appear after a period longer than I specified?

Stillness Buddy is designed to track your activity and detect any pauses in your use of the computer. So when you stop for a while, the application notices this and the next pause is delayed accordingly.

On the other hand, when you are working very intensely and hardly taking any breaks, then breaks will appear on a more regular basis, to remind you to stop for a few moments, to avoid losing your presence and mindfulness of the moment. 

Do you have any guidelines for the duration and frequency for the Moments of Stillness and Mindfulness Pauses?

We recommend that a moment of stillness lasts 15-20 seconds, occuring every 10-15 minutes and that mindfulness pauses last 2-3 minutes, occurring every hour or so. 

Feel free to modify the settings to suit your preferences and reduce the frequency and duration of the pauses if you wish. However, do remember that you will see the best results if you have very short but frequent pauses on a regular basis.

What are the minimum system requirements?

• Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, Vista or 7
• 30 MB free disk space
• Sound card

How do I cancel a break if I need to?

You can cancel a Moment of Stillness or a Mindfulness Pause, by clicking on the circle button (next to the timer bar), on the pause window. Alternatively press the Esc key.

Please note that this circle will not be displayed, if you have selected to always enforce the breaks. If you wish to change this, then change your settings on the control panel (right click on the Stillness Buddy icon, found on the bottom right of your screen).

Why does a red frame sometimes appear around the pause window?

When a pause window appears, you need to stop using your mouse and keyboard. If you move the mouse or type on the keyboard during this pause, the timer bar will go back to the beginning and the countdown is re-started. If you keep on moving the mouse or typing, a red frame around the window will appear, to remind you to stop.

Is it possible to pause Stillness Buddy for a while, if I need to? 

Yes, you can pause Stillness Buddy by either:

• Right-clicking on the Stillness Buddy icon in the system tray and selecting “Pause Stillness Buddy”, or
• By clicking the pause button on the control panel

When you are ready, you can resume Stillness Buddy by:

• Right-clicking on the Stillness Buddy icon in the system tray and selecting “Resume Stillness Buddy”, or
• By clicking the play button on the control panel

Please check the overall volume level of your computer and that your speakers are not set to mute.

PURCHASE AND LICENSE

When I buy a user license, will I receive a registration key?

No. Shortly after your purchase has been completed, your trial copy will become a fully licensed copy. Once you receive an email confirming the activation of your user license, all you need to do is make sure your computer is connected to the internet, close Stillness Buddy and open it again.

The details of your licensed copy will be maintained by us in a secure server.