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Stress reduction in everyday wearables: balanced

In this position paper, we discuss the role of smart garments for stress reduction. Stress management plays a vital role in healthy living. Stress is an essential component of human life, but too much of it is a risk factor contributing to problems with concentration and a wide variety of illnesses including hypertension, heart problems, disorders of the immune system, and depression. Proposed solutions include mindfulness exercises, biofeedback, muscle-relaxation, and breathing exercises. Most of these solutions are either low-tech or rely on smart-phone apps. In this position paper, we argue that there is a great design opportunity to embed stress reduction solutions in everyday garments. Garments are a natural interface to the human body and enable practical ways to anchor stress reduction in the rituals of daily life. Another advantage is that we move attention away from the smartphone, which too often is a source of information overload by itself. We demonstrate an aesthetically pleasing soft actuator in a garment, which is realized by embroidery of conductive yarn, and which can be used as both a subtle break reminder or as a tool guiding breathing exercises. We reflect on the various design choices during the process of creating this demonstrator.