Philosophy

The question that matters

Most apps ask: "What do you need to do?"

Merimna asks: "What exists that you'd like to stop carrying in your head?"

That framing shift changes everything.

Why Merimna avoids tasks

Tasks create obligation. They transform information into action items. They add mental load instead of reducing it.

A plant needs water. That's reality. It's not a task. It's not something you're failing at if you don't check it off.

Merimna holds the reality—what the plant needs, where it lives, patterns you've noticed. You decide what to do with that information.

Why silence is allowed

Most apps panic when you go quiet. They send notifications. They show red badges. They create urgency.

Merimna stays calm. If you don't open it for a week, nothing breaks. Nothing becomes "overdue." No streaks are lost.

The information is here when you need it. It doesn't chase you when you don't.

Why reminders can be harmful

For some people, reminders reduce mental load. For others, they create new anxiety.

If you have ADHD, if you're overwhelmed, if your relationship with notifications is complicated—reminders can feel like someone constantly tapping your shoulder.

Merimna doesn't push. It holds. You visit when it helps.

If reminders create more anxiety than relief, this might be for you.

Why context matters more than control

Control implies you should be managing everything perfectly. Context just means you can see what's real.

When you can see patterns—when waste collection happens, what meals your household tends to cook, which plants need more attention—reality becomes less overwhelming.

You're not trying to optimize. You're not trying to improve. You're just reducing the cognitive load of remembering.

What Merimna believes

Software doesn't need to change your behavior to be useful.

Holding information is valuable even if nothing happens as a result.

Calm tools are better than urgent ones.

Mental quiet is worth protecting.