After spending lazy days watching holiday movies and stuffing fistfuls of candy away in December, people are expected to get off the couch and work on self-improvement in January. It’s a rough transition, from sloth to sprint and self-improvement isn’t a race. According to science, you can speed up your personal growth by slowing down. For instance, there are studies to back up how slowing down your breath frequency can produce psychological and physiological changes in brain-body interaction. The same goes for music.
As you’re being inundated with messages advocating self-reflection, new beginnings, healthy re-starts and more than just a few calls for a return to the gym this January, may we suggest you slow down, breathe, and treat yo self to some tools to help soothe those woes.
You spent all year doing nothing, so why race to the gym during the coldest months of the year? Let Paste help ease you into a healthy lifestyle this year. There are an increasing number of technology-based solutions for self-care each year, from wearable tech to compact exercise solutions and lifestyle gadgets. To help free yourself of clutter, ease the burdens of work and help produce a healthier you in 2024, here’s Paste’s guide to wellness tech.
Oura Ring
Whether you’re training for a marathon or just trying to sleep better throughout the night, the Oura Ring provides critical data that can be used to make healthy changes your body needs. It’s also inconspicuous, highly customizable and so lightweight that it’s easy to forget it’s on. Wearing the Oura Ring for the last several weeks, I’ve been able to see the real-time effects of working out, taking mini-naps and even playing chase with the kids. Equipped with an automatic activity detection, the ring can give you credit for those calories you burned vacuuming the house as easily as tracking those steps at the gym.
If you’re looking for something easier and less intrusive than a FitBit or even the Apple Watch to keep track of your health while guiding you, the Oura Ring is a stylish and innovative pick. This little ring can keep track of blood oxygen levels, heart rate, sleep schedules and body temperatures. A membership also comes with a plethora of insights, wellness tips and programs.
Ditch The Wires
I’m a big advocate of travel and work accessories in general, but the best ones not only streamline the work process, they look great while doing so. Australian-based Journey makes some of my recent favorites, including the NEXA laptop sleeve, which is part wireless charger, part protective case and part desk mat/mouse pad. The company recently unveiled a line of airtag enabled, mag-safe travel wallets, which double as phone stands.
A Better Bathroom
Smart mirrors are set to trend in 2024. At CES last week, Baracoda unveiled its BMind mirror, which uses “cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI), Computer Vision and Large Language Models to interpret expressions, gestures, and language of the user. The mirror uses the company’s proprietary software, CareOS, to identify user’s sentiments and adapt to their mood by providing light therapy sessions and personalized, auto-generated mindfulness exercises such as guided meditation and self-affirmations.
While it could be considered low-tech, the Sutera Stone Bath Mat by Brandless is easily my favorite bathroom item we bought this year. These stone mats are made of ultra-dry Diatomaceous Earth, require minimal upkeep, dry in seconds and look great. Equally cool, albeit extremely expensive, towel warmers!
If you’re ready for the next step up, we’re here to let you know smart toilets now exist as well.
Clear The Air
I know I’m getting old because I think air purifiers were my best tech purchase of the year, hands down. I bought three separate units and I’m likely to buy more for family members in 2024. We started off this year with the Levoit Vital 200S Smart True HEPA Air Purifier after one of the kids was diagnosed with several allergies in addition to mild asthma. Super portable, easy to control via app or voice, and quietly powerful, we moved it around from the upstairs bedroom to the downstairs playroom for a month before buying another.
Another favorite, the Bloom doubles as an accent piece for your living room, kitchen or playroom and a medical-grade air filter. Thanks to thoughtful design, you can use it as a planter or easily transform it into an accent table with a supplemental wood table top. If you’re on the hunt for something smaller, the Briiv air filter is compact, sustainably built and powerful. The Briiv Pro, the second generation of the device, is currently on IndieGogo.
Exercise On The Clock
In 2022, researchers at the University of Sydney studied more than 70,000 adults, average age 62, and found those who exercised vigorously for a total of 15 minutes a week had an 18% lower risk of dying during the study period. Doing at least 19 minutes per week was linked to a 40% lower risk of developing heart disease in that time, and doing 16 minutes weekly was associated with a 16% drop in cancer risk.
This year, we’ve tried to be a bit more proactive, opting for a walking pad and the Ampera Office Bike, which offer low-impact exercise options around the house. The Ampera earns extra points because while you’re pedaling away, you’re creating an electrical charge. Simply place your phone on the bike’s built-in wireless pad or plug in any other device of your choosing via USB-C. It takes about 30 minutes to get a phone half-way charged, according to LifeSpan.
Reflect Orb
Meditation can be tough, especially if you’re searching for immediate feedback and/or zen. The Orb and its app are designed to help elevate meditation routines and help guide self-care practices including breathing exercises. Designed with biometric handles and a soft, pillowy shell, the orb has a glowing light ring that changes color in response to stress levels. The device allows users to track their progress and skill-building over time, serving as a tangible and comforting anchor, especially for new meditation students.
Serenity Soundtrack
As of 2019, an estimated 4% of the global population, about 300 million people, had experienced an anxiety disorder, making it the most common of all mental health issues. According to Google Trends, Americans have increasingly searched for the term over the past six years. Last year, according to the American Psychiatric Association, one in three Americans made a resolution to improve their mental health.
In 2017, Jamie Pabst left her day job in the NYC finance industry to spend time with her kid, become a DJ and create the company, Spiritune. After studying and promoting the healing principles of music therapy, she developed an app to help people focus on their personal wellness state and relax. Users select a current emotion, select a desired feeling and then choose between several personalized, science-based playlists that can help with mental health issues related to emotion, depression, anxiety, stress, and workplace productivity.
Gamify Your Workout
According to recent surveys, a large number of respondents said gamifying their work made them more productive at their jobs. That fact hasn’t been lost on app makers, especially developers in the health and fitness world. Last year, Paste published a lengthy list of ways to gamify your workout. One of my favorites was Marvel Move, which has recently been updated with new story arcs. The workout app takes the listener through a multi-chapter tale, immersing you in the comic book world of Thor, The Incredible Hulk and the X-Men among others.
SOAAK In Sound
Sounds can reduce cortisol, regulate breathing, and help activate auditory nerve centers, which has led to its use in medicine for hundreds of years. Different frequencies produce an array of healing properties. Developed in a clinic in Tulsa, Okla., Soaak’s Sound Frequency Therapies were used and clinically tested for eight years before being released digitally as an app.
Soaak studied 120 clients extensively over six-month periods and, according to its studies, 97% of people who used the app saw a significant improvement in one area of use within 30 days. For specific issues, such as fitness, migraines, hormonal imbalances, sleeplessness, anxiety, etc., positive outcomes were seen in 78% of clients, with none experiencing any adverse side effects from the sound frequency therapy treatments.
The sound frequency therapies work within minutes for pain management, anxiety, sleep, and more. A few of the therapy settings include Cardiovascular Health, Common Cold & Flu, Digestion Support, Headache and Migraine Support and PMS support. The company also locked a major contract with the U.S. Air Force for 2023.
Carved Case
Art is important. Not only is it fun to look at, art therapy has an important role to play in mental health. Carved co-founder John Webber has spent the last decade figuring out how to create gorgeous phone cases from natural wood and resin pours. Since 2011, Carved has created custom cases for thousands of people, including celebrities like Tony Hawk. The company expanded with new products like minimalist wallets, jewelry and phone chargers. Made in Elkhart, Indiana, these cases combine unique wood burls with colorful resin swirls. For $189, you’re buying a one-of-a-kind piece of art that just happens to protect your phone.
Plaud Note
Looking to save some time this year. Let me introduce the Plaud Note, an AI-enabled recorder and transcription service that can record phone calls or in-person chats with ease. The product has run through crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter and IndieGogo, raising millions and attracting crowds at CES this year. According to developers, it took approximately nine months from the initial idea of the product to successful mass production, in which time it amassed over 33,000 backers worldwide.
Speks
Need to unwind at your desk? Try Speks. The Brooklyn-based company produces a wide variety of stress-reducing toys including the Crags magnetic putty, magnetic mini-balls, and new Gump stress ball. These are not for kids and if you have little ones around, think twice. The company also has a wide variety of toys with fun names like the Blot, Spokes, Fleks and Helix.
Dana Forsythe is a freelance writer covering tech, comic books and culture. He lives in Massachusetts, enjoys photographing street art, collecting comics and can be followed via Twitter @danafour.