Those who desire to live longer, healthier lives may do well to mind body response as much as diet and exercise. Many studies have linked stress to illness, premature aging, and a host of other physical and emotional conditions. A discreet wearable, currently funding on Kickstarter, hopes to provide users with greater awareness of their stress response along with the ability to self regulate it. The Lief smart patch is designed to initiate calming exercises when heart and breathing rates show elevated levels of stress.
All of the best fitness trackers continually measure the heart’s beats per minute (BPM). However, these measurements tend to focus on evaluating physical exercise and the number of calories being burned rather than mood or anxiety levels. Not only that, but recent research questions the accuracy of monitoring hearts through wrist-worn devices.