FAQs for enrolled participants
General
What are the possible benefits for me?
You will receive:
- Monthly personalised practice tracking feedback
- Access to exclusive practice resources
- Access to free meditation timer in our study’s application, Fabla
- A unique opportunity to reflect and keep a practice diary without having to type a single line
- An invitation to join our community and interact with fellow participants
- Gift cards for your country
- The option to donate your compensation to charity
I missed a survey. What do I do?
That’s alright! We understand that life can be hectic sometimes. Please keep an eye out for your upcoming weekly diaries and monthly surveys on Fabla. We will also send you surveys via email at approximately 1 year and 2 years after you joined our study.
However, we encourage you to complete as many surveys and weekly voice diaries as you can. Your responses are invaluable to us and will help shape the understanding of meditation's impact on well-being and personal growth.
I stopped meditating regularly. Am I still in the study?
Yes, of course! We are interested in your journey and experiences regardless of whether you are practising. Please continue to share your experiences with us! Your participation is crucial in shaping our understanding of meditation’s impact and help others in the future. Thank you again for sharing your journey with us!
Where can I find and/or download the Plain Language Statement that I was provided when I joined the study?
Please refer to the Plain Language Statement.
Meditation Timer
What is the (Optional) Meditation Timer?
(Optional) Meditation Timer is a free function available on Fabla. It was specifically designed for you as a practice companion for your convenience. Use is not required.
To start a practice session, set the timer to the practice duration you want and press start! Fabio (our tiny blue ghost) will notify you when the timer is up.
The meditation timer is available for you daily via Today’s Entries in the Study tab.
You can complete as many meditation timer sessions as you’d like in a day.
After you complete the timer, there is a post-session reflection available for you to reflect on your practice by recording a voice diary or typing out your reflections. Please remember to submit your responses to save your diary entry and share it with us!
Please note that using the meditation timer is completely optional.
What is the post-session reflection?
Post-session reflection is a free optional function available on Fabla. It was specifically designed for you to reflect on your practice and meditation journey by recording a voice diary or typing out your reflections. Use is not required.
The post-session reflection is available for you daily via (Optional) Meditation Timer function on Today’s Entries in the Study tab.
You can press “Next” at the bottom of (Optional) Meditation Timer page to access your post-session reflections. You can also use the (Optional) Meditation Timer before completing post-session reflection as well. Also, please remember to submit your responses to save your diary entry and share it with us!
You can complete as many post-session reflections as you’d like in a day.
Please note that using the post-session reflection is completely optional.
Can I use post-session reflection without using the (Optional) Meditation Timer?
Yes, that’s totally fine! You can access your post-session reflections without using the timer by pressing “Next” and start recording your reflections. Also, please remember to submit your responses to save your reflection entry and share it with us.
Please note that using the post-session reflection is completely optional.
Can I use post-session reflection to reflect and record changes I notice in my daily life because of my meditation practice?
Yes, of course! While we call it “post-session reflection”, the space is for you to reflect on your meditation journey as a whole and that may include changes you may notice in your daily life.
Please remember to submit your responses to save your reflection entry and share it with us. We are excited to hear about your meditation journey!
Please note that using the post-session reflection is completely optional.
Weekly Voice Diaries
What are voice diaries?
They are short voice messages that you will be recording weekly on our study’s app, Fabla. You can think of it as if you were sharing about your week to your friends. You don’t have to worry about pauses or having the right thing to say at all! Also, your voice diaries will be available on your phone for you to look back to, just like traditional diaries!
Please remember to submit your responses to save your entry and share it with us. We are excited to hear about your meditation journey!
How will my recorded voice diaries be managed?
Your privacy matters to us. Your recorded voice diaries will be available on your phone for your ease of access and will be stored on secure, encrypted servers, to which only the research team will have access. No identifying information will be published or available to other participants or to anyone outside the research team.
Where can I find my weekly meditation diary?
You can access your weekly meditation diary under Today’s Entries in Study tab. Your meditation diary will be available on your preferred date and time.
How long will my weekly meditation diary be available for?
Your weekly meditation diary will be available for 48 hours (24 hours before and 24 hours after your chosen time).
I missed this week’s meditation diary. What do I do?
No worries, we understand life can be hectic sometimes!
However, please note that missing weekly entries will affect the accuracy of your monthly personalised feedback. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to complete as many weekly diaries as you can to receive accurate monthly practice tracking feedback.
Additionally, we’d like to remind you that each weekly entry that you submit will be counted as an entry into the draw for 20 gift cards valued USD 100 (or equivalent in your local currency), which will be drawn every 6 months.
Please look forward to next week’s diary. Fabio is excited to see you next week!
How do I know I have submitted my meditation diary?
You can check the status of your weekly diary in History tab.
If the status shows “Submitted”, you have successfully submitted your weekly diary.
If the status shows “Ready to Start”, you have yet to submit your weekly diary.
How do I access my diary entries from previous week(s)?
You can access your previous voice diaries through History tab.
How do I change my weekly notification?
To change weekly notification, select: Settings tab > Participant Details > Onboarding Survey and change your preferred day and time. The process may take a while to update.
Monthly Survey
Where can I find my monthly survey?
Your monthly survey will appear on your Study tab on Fabla when it is ready. This short monthly survey will take just around 15 minutes to complete.
How long is my monthly survey going to be available for?
Your monthly survey will be available for 7 days. This window allows you to complete it at your convenience. Please remember to submit it to receive your monthly personalised feedback.
I missed this month’s survey. What do I do?
While we encourage you to complete as many monthly surveys as you can, we understand that things come up! However, you will not receive your monthly personalised practice feedback for the months you don’t complete your surveys.
Please complete your next monthly survey when it is available to you. Your monthly responses are crucial in helping us shape our understanding of meditation's impact on wellbeing and personal growth. Thank you again for continuing your journey with us!
Monthly Practice Tracking Feedback
When will I receive my monthly practice tracking feedback?
It will be available to you upon completion of your monthly survey.
Why is the amount of practice on my personalised tracking feedback not accurate?
This could be because you missed some of your weekly tasks.
Troubleshooting
I accidentally deleted Fabla from my phone. What do I do?
Please re-download Fabla from your Apple Store (iOS/Apple users) or Google Play (Android users) and enter your unique log-in codes when requested.
You can find your log-in codes in the email we sent to you when you first downloaded Fabla.
I accidentally pressed “Leave This Study”. What do I do?
Please re-enrol by entering your Fabla log-in codes we provided you via email when you initially downloaded Fabla.
Enquiries
If you have any questions or concerns that are not listed here, please contact the Tracking Meditation Study team at tracking-meditation@unimelb.edu.au.