Smart relaxation

We are used to seeing the world of wearables aimed at those who want to monitor and improve their physical performance. Professional and amateur sportsmen of all disciplines have been using them for years to track workouts and obtain tracking and advice. But there is a segment of wearable devices that offers us a different type of training: that of relaxation. The roots of these tech devices – which not surprisingly are having a moderate boom linked to the psychological effects of the pandemic – can be found in Chinese medicine, and specifically in the technique of acupressure. They are the smart heirs of the “analog” anti-nausea bracelets, which by stimulating the acupressure points connected to movement reduce the sensation of motion sickness and seasickness. The newest (and most expensive) ones on the market are made by Apollo Neuro, cost around $ 300, and promise to help manage anxiety and stress in a wide variety of situations. They are based on cognitive-affective neuroscience studies, and work by emitting vibrations that – according to the manufacturers – should restore heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure to optimal levels. Wearing the bracelet, you connect to the app on your phone, and you choose from the programs available the one that best suits your mood or the challenge of the moment. There is one to get active in the morning, one to deal with social situations, to focus on work, for post-workout recovery, for relaxation, meditation and even for sleep. Each one orders the bracelet connected via bluetooth to start a particular sequence of vibrations with the aim of activating the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, defusing negative reactions (figth or flight, fight or flight) and triggering a positive response (rest and digest, rest). and assimilate). The app works with both iOS and Android, and each vibration mode is editable to customize the intensity and duration of the vibration sequence. It can be worn on the wrist or ankle and is recharged via USB. Used consistently, it promises a sort of “training” of our neurovegetative response to stimuli, so as to be able to reduce or eliminate its use over time by re-educating the way our nervous system reacts to stressful situations. such as the pair of TopuchPoint bracelets that work with alternating bilateral vibration) are based on a similar technology, but without the possibility of choosing the program and modulating the effects on request. The opinions of the scientific community are divided. When Fedez showed his TouchPoint Solution bracelets, worn to decrease stage anxiety in Sanremo, the Italian Society of Psychiatry dismissed the device as a mere placebo effect. Those who use them claim to have benefited from them, especially in the more technological versions that have different importable programs and which therefore allow you to customize the desired effects according to the situations. In any case, as psychiatrists have concluded, even an auto-suggestion effect does not hurt if it helps to keep anxiety and stress under control and helps us to navigate more calmly the pitfalls of post-pandemic life.