Unbox Your Calm Selfie is developing the Happy Friends app, a mental health innovation that supports girls aged 10–15 in building emotion-regulation skills. During Military Boekelo, the team tested how accessible, understandable, and engaging the new components of the app are. In a pink caravan, girls could try an introductory video and a guided meditation, followed by feedback gathered via a bulletin board and a survey.

Thirty-four girls participated, about half of whom were already familiar with meditation. The app was perceived as a pleasant, low-threshold way to get introduced to mindfulness. Sixty-six percent reported feeling relaxed after the 10-minute meditation, and the target group strongly identified with the animations, themes, and lesson videos. Adding a brief explanation at the top of lesson folders improved clarity, and visualizations during meditation helped participants maintain focus.

The team will further refine the themes, enrich the mindfulness exercises with visual elements, and work on increasing familiarity and comfort with meditation within the target group. The test feedback will be used to continue improving the app’s content.

In collaboration with

Regieorgaan SIA, Military Boekelo, Hogeschool Rotterdam & Happy Friends app