Why I Created AwareFlow
"You're doing it again."
The Moment Everything Changed
I was at my kid's indoor game when my partner leaned over and said it again: "You're doing that thing."
The sniffing. I had no idea I was doing it. I never do. But she always hears it. Other parents were right there. I felt that familiar flush — embarrassment, then frustration, then the quiet voice underneath both: Why can't I just stop?
That night I searched the App Store for something — anything — that could help me notice my own habit before someone else had to point it out.
It didn't exist. So I built it.
The Problem Nobody Talks About
Millions of people have subtle audible habits they don't notice — sniffing, throat clearing, pen clicking, heavy sighing. They're unconscious. Invisible to the person doing them.
But they're not invisible to everyone.
For partners and family members — especially those with misophonia (a neurological sensitivity to specific sounds) — these small sounds can become a source of real distress. The person with the habit doesn't know they're doing it. The person who hears it can't stop noticing. And every time it gets pointed out, both people feel worse.
There are apps for the person with misophonia — white noise, coping tools, sound masking. But there was nothing for the person on the other side. Nothing that said: "I'll help you notice, privately, before it becomes a conversation."
What AwareFlow Does
AwareFlow listens for specific habit sounds — sniffing, throat clearing — using on-device machine learning. When it picks up a pattern, it gives you a gentle, private nudge. A quiet vibration. A notification only you see.
- 🌀 Detects subtle habits in real time using custom-trained sound classifiers
- 🔔 Nudges you privately — not publicly, not harshly
- 📊 Shows patterns through daily insights, so you understand your habits over time
- 🔒 Keeps everything on your device — no audio is ever recorded, stored, or sent anywhere
No one else sees it. No one else knows. Just you, building quiet awareness.
The Deeper Story
For most of my life, I was the one people counted on. Business owner. Dad of five. Partner. Friend. I loved helping others win.
Underneath, I carried patterns I didn't understand and habits I couldn't shake. The success on the outside didn't quiet what was happening inside.
I didn't feel worthy.
In 2024, I began studying dysfunctional family systems and the long shadows they cast. Suddenly the small behaviors made sense: the nervous sniff, the throat-clear, the fidget. They were signals from a nervous system asking for safety.
But knowing why I sniffed didn't help me notice when I sniffed. That's the gap AwareFlow fills — the bridge between understanding and awareness.
What if an app could help us notice those tiny signals — without judgment?
What if it offered a kind nudge, and nothing more?
What if healing could be quiet?
What the Sniff Was Really Saying
The sniff was never just a sound. It was a message: "I don't feel safe."
Today, I'm learning to answer that message with care instead of critique. AwareFlow is one tool in that shift — private, gentle, and honest. It doesn't fix you. It doesn't judge you. It just helps you notice, so you can choose what happens next.
You are not alone. You are not broken. And you are not too late.
Jason Babcock, MBA, ACRP-CP
Founder, AwareFlow™ • SnapHabit LLC
Certified Clinical Research Professional
Dad of five. Partner. Work in progress.
For Partners and Families
If you're the one who hears the habit — if your partner's sniffing or throat clearing is something you can't tune out — I want you to know: this app was built because of you, too.
AwareFlow sits between both people in the relationship. It's private to the person with the habit. Invisible to the partner. It means one less conversation that starts with "you're doing it again" and ends with both people feeling terrible.
If you or your partner live with misophonia, you already know how much these small sounds can weigh. AwareFlow doesn't solve misophonia. But it gives the other person a chance to notice on their own — and that changes the dynamic for both of you.
Why It Took Me 13 Months
I'll be honest: AwareFlow has been working for months. The detection is real. The privacy architecture is real. The patent is filed. But I kept finding reasons not to ship it.
The sensitivity slider needed one more adjustment. The copy wasn't gentle enough. The insights screen needed another pass. I told myself I was improving the app. The truth is, I was afraid.
Afraid that no one would want it. Afraid of bad reviews. Afraid of putting something personal into the world and being told it wasn't good enough. The same fear that made me sniff in the first place — the one that says you're not safe here — was keeping me from shipping.
So here it is. Not perfect. But real. And ready.
What AwareFlow Stands For
- 🌀 Awareness over correction — we help you notice, not punish
- 🔒 Privacy as a foundation — all processing on-device, no audio ever stored
- 🤝 People over metrics — built for anyone who'd rather notice on their own
- 🌱 Gentleness as a design principle — rest maintains your streak, showing up is enough
Curious how we protect your data? Read the Privacy Policy and Confidentiality.
Growing the Vision
AwareFlow started as a personal project. It's becoming something bigger. I'm pursuing federal research funding through NIH and NSF to study subtle auditory habits at scale, trademark and patent protection to keep the mission focused, and partnerships with clinicians who work with misophonia-affected families.
The long-term goal: a behavioral-wellness platform that supports real research while giving people tools to understand themselves with compassion.