Sweat slides off my forehead. A sticky feeling that covers your hands. Butterflies flutter in my stomach.
Yes, we all know what stress is like. But what if you could know exactly how stressed you are at any given time?
That’s the premise behind AWEAR, once dubbed the “Fitbit for the brain.” AWEAR uses EEG sensors to capture all the activity taking place there. The small, rectangular wearable device wraps around your ear and sends AI-powered insights to an app on your phone, detailing your stress, focus, and calmness frequency. The goal is to train your brain to recover faster from stress. Considering how chronic stress is linked to many harmful health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and premature death, users can access their “calm” score to take control.
“Our customers tell us they use AWEAR for encouragement when they feel stressed or overwhelmed. Our app uses soothing vibrations to remind them it’s time for a break,” said Antonio Forenza, founder and CEO of AWEAR, a technology industry veteran and entrepreneur. “They then use the Calm Score to measure the impact of their breathing techniques on their nervous system and receive positive reinforcement from the mobile app.”
Historically, I am one of the people who is easily stressed. While I am grateful for my general anxiety and OCD, I save other life and work stressors for my next therapy session.
I was curious about the impact AWEAR had on my life compared to regular therapies and treatment techniques, so I decided to give AWEAR a try. I’ll explain what happened.
Did this trendy new technology calm me down?
Forenza began research and development of this device in 2023 after noticing a gap in the wearable market. While Oura and WHOOP do track stress through heart rate, none tracked mental health. Forenza assembled a team of neurology experts from Stanford University, the University of California, San Francisco, and his native Italy.
They wanted to create a product to continuously track biomarkers in an unobtrusive way. That way, you can wear it in social situations or even on calls. Currently in beta test. In the long term, the company hopes to track brain health.
After receiving the technology in the mail, I followed the instructions, charged it until I saw a green flashing light, and connected it to my phone via Bluetooth. I used the included body wipe to wipe behind my ears. I applied the adhesive and placed the sensor behind my ear and waited for it to calibrate. After a few tries, the app started tracking my brain waves.
I was curious about the score. I just kept staring at the app, trying to transition from stress to calm.
I just. It was kept. stare.
I searched for “chronic stress” online, but it probably didn’t matter. When I got into a work meeting a little late, I thought my score would plummet even more. A quick look showed that the metrics had improved. Perhaps not obsessing over the score was the antidote. By distracting myself and not thinking about my stress, I felt less stressed.
At one point, I recorded a calm score of 100 (out of 100). I don’t think I’ve ever been so calm in my life. It registered and quickly went down to 92 after I suspected it.
Overall, the first day I tried it, I felt more stressed than calmed. On the second day, the atmosphere was more calm than stressful. I’m sure the more I follow the instructions and wear it, the more it will adjust to my baseline levels. “Typically, we ask our customers to wear it 24 hours a day to get enough data to train/refine the (machine learning) model to match their own brain waves,” Forenza said. “Early models provide trends, but they are general.”
Overall, the adhesive wasn’t suitable for my sweat rate in hot weather, and it was frustrating when the device couldn’t track me. Forenza warned that this product is in beta for a reason. I’m looking forward to trying it out when it’s ready for prime time (I have a goal of not looking at the score for a while).
Can a device replace a therapist? Not exactly.
What’s next for AWEAR? Forenza says the device will get even smaller, going from a rectangle to a small circle. Perhaps one day, the device could even warn someone that they are about to have a seizure, or that they are depressed or burnt out. The company hopes to officially launch next year.
Forenza doesn’t think the technology should replace traditional therapists, but a device that sits behind the ear to encourage deep breathing could work as a complement.
“Imagine having the best therapist who understands all your emotions throughout your life, knows your biomarkers, and can interact with you whenever you want,” he says.
He added, “I think the shared experience, the shared consciousness, that a therapist provides is invaluable. And there are people who don’t agree with me. I work in technology, so I know I should agree with them, but I think there’s something special about human empathy that can never be replaced.”
The more you talk to your therapist, the more they will understand you. The same goes for AWEAR itself. My few hours may not have been enough to get to know me that Well, in any case, I don’t want to pay such close attention to apps about my brain. Still, I like the idea that perhaps such a device could serve as an addition to therapy sessions to keep my stress levels in check.
It’s something we can all “recognize” better.
The reporter of this article received access to this product courtesy of AWEAR. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.
