Yes—research shows it works.

After 8 weeks, teens who joined the Mindful Smartphone Program showed a significant drop in smartphone addiction and a clear increase in mindfulness levels, compared to those who didn’t join the program.

The results were based on scientific tests and real feedback from students.
In short: Teens became more focused, more aware, and less hooked on their phones.

The Mindful Smartphone Program is a unique 8-week journey designed to help teenagers develop a healthier relationship with their digital devices—without force, shame, or rigid rules.

Grounded in mindfulness and real-life experience with teens, the program explores four core domains:

• Posture – Because how we carry our bodies affects how we feel and focus.
• Focus – Cultivating attention to move from autopilot to present-moment awareness.
• Habit Change – Understanding emotional triggers and creating new, healthier responses.
• Connection – Building deeper relationships with self and others, beyond the screen.

As a family with a teenager at home, we understand how naturally chaotic—but also rewarding—this phase can be. One teen in our session once paused mid-activity and said, "Oh, I don’t feel like holding the phone now." That shift didn’t come from pressure, but from self-awareness.

This program doesn’t tell teens to quit their phones. Instead, it invites them to reflect, feel, and take back control by recognizing the emotional and psychological patterns behind their screen time.

We focus on secondary school students—because those formative years only come once. As Calvin Onn Yee Han often reminds his son Zen :

“If we waste these years on the phone, they won’t come back. Change now, before it’s too late.”

At CATalist Academy, mindfulness isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a way of life backed by science, rooted in tradition, and designed for real-world impact.

What sets us apart?

1) Scientifically Proven Programs
Our programs are evidence-based. Research conducted on our Mindful Smartphone Program showed a significant reduction in smartphone addiction and improved mindfulness levels among teens after just 8 weeks.

2) Focused Support for Teens and Adults
    We offer targeted programs:

• For teens, we help them build awareness, emotional balance, and healthier phone habits through our Mindful Smartphone Program.

• For adults, our MBCT for Life (MBCT-L) program is designed to manage stress, reduce overthinking, and improve overall well-being.

3) Led by Calvin Onn – A Teacher with Depth
Our founder, Calvin Onn, brings over 30 years of mindfulness experience, blending traditional wisdom with modern psychological training. He trained under respected Asian teachers and is also certified by the Oxford Mindfulness Centre (UK). His unique teaching style bridges ancient teachings with scientific understanding, making mindfulness accessible and deeply transformative.

At CATalist Academy, we don’t just teach techniques—we help people reconnect with themselves, transform habits, and live with clarity and purpose.