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Reducing Stress Through Tech

Overview Technology has been criticized as catalyst of stress, but technology — such as meditation apps, stress-tracking devices and fidget gadgets — has also proven itself in helping people reduce anxiety and promote feelings of positivity.

Companies like CES 2019 exhibitors TouchPoint and HEALium are using cutting-edge technology to help consumers manage stress.

Using VR to Heal

HEALium leverages virtual and augmented reality travel to allow users to biometrically alter their virtual environment through emotions and subsequently decrease their own stress. Powered by the user’s brain patterns and heart rate, the product lets users “heal” the virtual worlds, promoting the power of the user’s positivity and sensations of healing.

“It’s a reminder that healing powers reside in all of us,” said Sarah Hill, CEO and chief storyteller of StoryUp, who created HEALium.

Studies pulling real-time electroencephalography (EEG) feedback and heart rate data have shown HEALium’s ability to quickly reduce anxiety and stress in as little as 4 minutes.

At CES 2019, visitors to the HEALium booth hatched butterflies in virtual worlds through their emotions.

De-Stressing at the Touch of a Button

Using gentle micro-vibrations called BLAST (bilateral alternating stimulation tactile), TouchPoint give the user a soft vibration that affects the brain and alters the body’s stress response, restoring calm. The wearable tech also relieves the body sensations that often accompany stress, such as stomachaches or headaches.

“What we’re offering to people is the ability to de-stress at the touch of a button,” said Vicki Mayo, co-founder of TouchPoint.

During CES 2019, attendees lining up at the TouchPoint booth for real-time EEG scans that illustrated the effect TouchPoint has on the brain.

Technology like HEALium and TouchPoint are transforming the digital health sector, showcasing how tech can enhance lives through capabilities like stress-reduction.
 

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