Mental health is as important as physical health, irrespective of your age.
Everyone experiences stress in this day and age.
Frequent exposure to stress can impair brain development and cause chronic illness in years to come.
Pharmaceutical treatments often have immense negative side effects, leaving many facing personal battles with few to no options.
Taeyoung Chang – an Industrial Design student – is the mastermind behind the Bubsy Vest.
His objective was to design a garment that applies controlled pressure on the body for anyone suffering from mild to severe anxiety or stress.
Hugs have been proven to calm anxiety, lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, and release happy hormones such as oxytocin and serotonin. During a stress episode, the human body raises heart rate, blood pressure and releases stress hormones such as adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol. Hugs can relieve stress by reversing all negative bodily reactions.
In order to recreate a hug realistically, numerous hugs were observed and studied to find the most crucial contact points of a hug. The vest contains a hidden pouch that houses an inflatable bladder. When inflated, it applies pressure on the back, and serves as an object to hug.
Why choose a bear ?
Human touch has been known to alleviate existential fears for people with low self-esteem. Even touching an inanimate object such as a teddy bear can soothe fear and help instill a sense of significance. People with low self-esteem value a plush teddy more than the average person.
The Bubsy Vest is aimed at adolescents, who encounter stress from many sources. School pressure, bullying and peer pressure, as well as academic strain are all factors that could result in immense anxiety. For teens, physical response to stress kicks in a lot faster than in adults, due to the prefrontal cortex – the part of the brain that calmly assesses danger and calls off stress response – not being fully developed.
To use the Bubsy Vest, zip the vest up. The zip hides the inflatable. Then you inflate the bladder. Through inflation, pressure will be applied around the lower waist.
The soft feel and warmth of fleece were key characteristics for the vest, along with the coated vinyl, which is thin, durable, air tight and heat sealable.
Bubsy Vest is portable,warm subtle and easy to use. While still a prototype, the Bubsy Vest holds the potential to bring comfort to more than just those affected by stress and anxiety, it could also help special needs individuals, for example, those with Autism.
#BubsyVest
#VestThatHugsYouBack
#VestThatRelievesStress
#VestThatIsYourFriend
