I have always felt compelled to design solutions to help people. When I take my own personal morals and experiences into consideration I believe mental health comes before anything else. Without our sanity and well-being we are helpless. Designing specifically to improve the situations of others who are struggling with their mental health only seems logical.

After years of struggling with my own anxiety problems, I developed multiple techniques to provide relief during anxiety episodes or panic attacks. I decided to design a device that combines these techniques to deliver instant panic relief anywhere, anytime. MedicalNewsToday.com defines anxiety disorder as a chronic disorder characterised by “excessive, long-lasting anxiety and worry about nonspecific life events, objects, and situations.” People who suffer from extreme anxiety often experience feelings of being afraid or worried about health, money, family, work, or school, but have difficulty identifying and controlling these worries. These feelings of anxiousness can quickly escalate into a panic attack, which is a sudden attack of intense terror and apprehension that leads to shaking, dizziness, nausea, and difficulty with breathing. Panic attacks tend to arise abruptly and peak after 10 minutes, but they can also last for hours, so having a product that tends to these serious issues I believe would be very powerful.

 

Due to my personal experience, I have developed a strong insight into panic attacks. This allowed me to test out ideas for the 'calming stone' while experiencing real panic attacks during the developing process. In addition, discussing my ideas with professional anxiety psychologists allowed me to develop ideas with complementary psychological techniques. I discovered that breathing is one of the most important aspects of controlling emotion, whether it be anxiety, anger, or sadness. By controlling your breathing and focusing on fresh, cool air many people have found that they can relieve stress. However, the depth of anxiety lies within the psyche. Anxiety can lead to irrational thinking and it is important to control these thoughts through guided meditation. Being able to focus on a soothing voice, reiterating positive ideas, while being guiding through several breathing techniques, can help to encourage someone undergoing a panic attack to think positively and control erratic breathing.

With these two highly effective techniques I have developed the 'calming stone'. The form was inspired by the idea of Japanese Zen stacking stones, which are traditionally used to reduce stress.The 'calming stone' has an organic design that fits into your palm. The form is relaxing, non-intrusive and ergonomically designed to naturally fit in the hand. Integrated into the design is a breathing cavity where cool air is released out onto your face for a cool, calming sensation and is to be inhaled by the user. Smell capsules, such as lavender, can be additionally inserted to accompany the sensation. An easy to use wireless earbud can be simply removed from the side of the calming stone as a discrete audio experience for the user. There are also a series of simple to use buttons that run down the side of the calming stone, which are designed align with the fingers to create an intuitive user experience. It was important to design a device that was uncomplicated to use for a person in a state of panic.

The 'calming stone' also has an illumination function, which allows the user to hold the middle button to light up the device. This can be used next to the bed as a sense of comfort. The calming effects of this device enable it to be used by anyone under stress or feeling anxious. Whether it be a child before school speeches, or a professional before a board presentation or an athlete before a competition. The 'calming stone' is something that anyone struggling with stress can place their trust to help regain a sense of control.