At the end of January, an online event marked the public launch of MindfulPacer, a new app focused on helping people better understand and manage their available energy in everyday life.

The event included a short introduction to the background of the project, a live demonstration of the app, and an open discussion about practical use cases. Around 65 participants joined the session and contributed questions and feedback during an interactive Q&A.

MindfulPacer is designed to support people in observing and reflecting on both physical and cognitive activity. By combining data from smartphones and smartwatches with easy journaling and visualizations, the app helps users recognize patterns, stay within self-defined limits, and manage their energy in a more sustainable way. This can be particularly relevant for people living with conditions such as Long Covid, ME/CFS, or other illnesses that involve limited or fluctuating energy levels, but the underlying ideas are applicable to anyone interested in pacing and self-awareness.

Technically, the app can monitor metrics such as heart rate or step count, notify users when personal thresholds are exceeded, and automatically record these events in a timeline for later review. Built-in summaries make it easier to reflect on activity over the course of a day or week.

The launch also provided an opportunity to acknowledge the work behind the scenes. Developing such an app proved to be a demanding process, shaped by significant technical hurdles and limited resources. Progress often required careful prioritization and creative problem solving.

Special thanks go to DIZH for the funding and everyone involved in the project for their support and collaboration throughout this challenging journey, in particular everyone in the MindfulPacer team.

Following the event, the first public version of the app became available for iOS, with an Android test version planned to follow soon. The project will continue to evolve based on user feedback and ongoing development work.