3 Surprising Ways Technology Can Actually Reduce Stress

When we think about technology, we often do not associate it with healing properties, especially when considering it for symptoms of stress. However, new innovations have helped to develop scientific means of enhancing meditation practices, aid in healthy sleep patterns, and can be used to motivate us to increase healthy lifestyle habits.

Wondering how technology could possibly assist in alleviating your anxiety symptoms?

Here are a few ways that technology can reduce stress. Explore these modern marvels that have allowed individuals to transform their lives through the use of high-tech, yet easy-to-use devices.

#1) Games for Anxiety Reduction

One of the most notable ways that technology was used to reduce stress was with the game, “The Journey to the Wild Divine.” Produced by Deepak Chopra in 2001, it altered the way that the world viewed healthcare. The gaming software was later sold and rebranded to Iom, but the original programs can still be purchased today on stores such as Amazon and eBay.

The Wild Divine utilizes “light stones” which can be placed on the players fingers to measure temperature, heart rate, and breath. In this way, players move through the game by learning to control their emotional and cognitive states. Similar to meditation, the Divine programs provided so many outstanding benefits to clients that it was considered for patients in hospital settings. Biofeedback has come a long way since then and it is easy to engage with no matter your age.

While we used to believe that video games and technology were bad for our health, science has begun to produce new forms of research that have shed new light on the benefits of gaming that include:

• Skill building
• Stress-management
• Problem-solving skills
• Cooperative connection
• Positive emotions
• Anxiety relief
• Emotional awareness
• Coping strategies
• Self-care
• Educational benefits
• Memory enhancement
• Increased physical fitness
• Increased helpful behaviors

Games are just one way that technology has allowed individuals to improve their lives but there are many more surprising gadgets that have been shown to help alleviate or even extinguish anxiety.

Here are a few games that can help:

• The Wild Divine
• Tetris
• Pigment
• Super Mario Run
• Wordscape
• Bejeweled
• Candy Crush
• Relaxing Puzzler
• Paper Toss
• Personal Zen
• Bubble Wrap
• Home Sheep Home
• Flow
• Echogenisis
• Animal Crossing
• Osmosis
• My Oasis

#2) Accessories for Stress-Relief and Better Sleep

In this day and age, we all know about or have heard how phones and watches track sleep and wake cycles as well as heart rates to help individuals monitor their health or stress symptoms. However, there is a whole world of newly developed and budding technology that is aimed at preventing as opposed to just understanding when the body is under stress.

1. Sensate is a stone-shaped device that is placed on a specific area of the body to help produce improved heart functioning, better sleep, reduced stress, calmed nerves, and a boost in resilience with as little as ten minutes of use per day.
2. Iom is the new and improved biofeedback device that can be easily run from your phone. This meditation program promises improved ability to handle adversity, decreased anxiety, reduced depression, stress management, reduced pain, improved response to anger, improvement to gastrointestinal disorders, improved mood, and fine-tuned skills for sports performance.
3. Muse has been labeled a brain-sensing headband by its creators and is worn around the back of the head and over the ears. These trendy EEF devices use advanced signal processing to interpret mental activity, making the wearer more aware of their state of being. Stormy weather sounds and peaceful weather sounds are heard as a cue to these subtle alterations in consciousness, providing deep insight and feedback.
4. Oura Ring allows an individual to gain insight into their sleep and wake cycles and emotions that are tied to those through heart rate measurements that provide full and detailed reports of the wearer’s day.

With plenty of options to choose from, those who suffer from anxiety can enhance their way of life by becoming aware of their daily living.

Related: Drop 80% of Your Stress, Daily

#3) Applications for a Less Anxious Lifestyle

In addition to snazzy devices for stress reduction, there are a plethora of applications that can also become a helpful resource, bringing aid right to your phone or other devices. Apps for stress relief and better living include:

• Healthy eating apps like Noom enhance self-care knowledge and can deliver food that reduces stress from the inside-out.
• Workout apps like Sweat create ways to track and build on stress-reducing habits.
• Meditation apps such as Headspace allow you to access tranquility wherever you are.
• Counseling apps similar to Better Help provide you with therapeutic services in one click.

Applications can also provide unique ways to journal for anxiety, track moods, play games for stress release, maintain balance, and stay positive throughout the day through the use of affirmations and reminders.

Do You Have Stress You Need to Reduce?

So, are you someone in need of a little extra aid when it comes to relaxation? It is important to know the signs of stress so as to better know how to manage those manifestations. Anxiety and stress show up in the body in many ways including:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Frequent urination
• Diarrhea
• Racing heart
• Chest pain
• Thoughts of impending doom
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Tremors
• Sweating
• Restlessness
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Decreased libido

Although these symptoms can be scary, remember, you are not alone. If things begin to feel too heavy to carry on your own, Loving Life is here for you.

Related: How Does Stress Show Up in the Body? 26 Symptoms of Stress

Technology can reduce stress.

Try the games, devices, and apps mentioned here. But, if you find that your stress is still not receding, it might be time for a bigger step. Reach out for help if stress is controlling your life. See how professional counseling or therapy can help you overcome stress and take control back over your feelings and your life.