We hear a lot about how technology causes anxiety in these digital days.

But there’s evidence that technology can also help reduce stress.

One in five Americans is troubled with anxiety, and the problem is worse for women. Almost twice as many women as men suffer from anxiety.

The causes and characteristics of anxiety are complex. Brain chemistry, hormones, the individual ways we have learned to cope with stress all contribute.

Anxiety interferes with our ability to live fully. It keeps us from reaching our potential.

New ways of reducing stress through technology are worth pursuing.

Are you curious yet?

Technology to Help Reduce Stress

We’re familiar with instruments like blood pressure monitors and smart scales that help us monitor our physical fitness. Now there’s technology that can help control stress. And some of it is wearable.

Stress Control

One wearable gadget, called Spire Stone, alerts you to inner tension and lets you reframe your thoughts so that you can get back to productive living. It’s a small stone with an attached clip so that you can attach it to your belt or bra strap.

Spire Stone measures your breathing patterns to determine whether you’re calm or tense. If your breathing grows erratic, the stone notifies you and suggests ways to relax through methods such as breathing and visual exercises or guided meditation.

It also keeps track of your activity, counting steps and calories.

Behavior Change

Muse is a brain-sensing headband that serves as a personal meditation assistant.

When you put on the headband and your earbuds, start the app, and shut your eyes, you hear weather that indicates whether you are calm or active. When your mind wanders, the sound intensifies, leading you back to calm.

After your session, you can review your data, set goals, and improve your next meditation practice.

Treatment for Phobias and Anxiety Disorders

Psious is a virtual reality solution to help treat phobias and anxiety disorders. It works through a smartphone, virtual reality goggles, and a biofeedback sensor.

Generally, it’s used in a therapist’s office with professional help.

Helping to Connect with Nature

Technology can keep you from nature by chaining you to a desk and screen. But it can also help you connect with nature through mindfulness and exercise applications.

Calorie and step counter apps like Fitocracy and Argus let you enter your weight and exercise reps, monitor your history of exercise over time, and create workout routines.

Outdoor exercise such as hiking and running is safer with the help of GPS. There are also apps to serve as trail guides for hiking and bike riding.

And, natural images on your computer screen can help you remember to look up from your work to rest several times an hour.

Finding Technology to Reduce Stress

Your first step locating the gadgets and apps best suited to you is understanding what triggers anxiety for you. Anxiety triggers range from money worries to performance at work, from crowds to being alone, from claustrophobia to being far from home.

List your triggers to help find the technology that works for you. Once you know what triggers anxiety for you, do your research.

In addition to the ideas described above, consider simpler options. For example, if one of your anxiety triggers is an overloaded schedule, an app like Evernote may help reduce stress by storing and organizing files you need for work or personal business. On the other hand, a mindfulness app can help you find time for meditation.

Putting Your New Stress-Reducing Technology to Work

Clearly, technology can help reveal your emotional state and help you understand what’s going on inside your body.

By showing you how stress triggers physiological changes, it can help you tune into your body so you can reduce stress and change your behavior. And with that understanding, you have what you need to grow.

Of course, it’s tempting to throw everything at your problem. But instead, pick just one wearable gadget or app to try and stick with it for no less than three weeks. Behavior change takes at least that long. If you stop for a while, start again, and keep it up once more for a minimum of 21 days.

With persistence and patience, you can find that techno gadget that will help you personally reduce your stress.