How to stay present

Quick answer

Breakfast, scroll. Walk to the train, scroll.

One person described noticing their thumb moving before their brain had even caught up. Staying present mostly comes down to catching that reach and putting a little distance between you and the screen.

What 125x is: 125x is a web app at 125x.app. You connect your YouTube subscriptions, and it gives you a feed of the latest videos from the channels you follow, each with a summary: a verdict, the 5 key takeaways, and the spoiler, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips. You read that and decide what's actually worth opening.

Open 125x

Crowd tips

Keep one action between you and the phone: a zipped bag, a buttoned pocket.
Skip the phone for the first hour of the day.
When you eat, just eat. When you walk, look at the street.
Charge the phone outside the bedroom.
Turn off every notification that isn't from a person.

Our tips

Pick one daily anchor, like your morning coffee, and do it with nothing else going.
When you notice you've drifted, name one thing you can hear. Then carry on.
Batch the stuff you want to watch into one slot so it isn't leaking into every gap.

Where 125x fits

On 125x, every video in your subscriptions feed comes with a summary: a verdict, 5 takeaways and the spoiler, plus an Actionable tab with steps and a Lessons tab with the bigger ideas. Reading the verdict first means fewer videos opened on autopilot and more gaps in your day left alone.

FAQ: questions people ask

How can I be more present day to day?

Put a small barrier between you and your phone and do one daily routine with nothing else going.

Why is it so hard to stay present?

Phones and feeds are built to fill every gap, so reaching for them becomes automatic.

Does mindfulness have to mean meditation?

No. Eating, walking or talking with full attention counts.