Mental health and wellness is just as important as physical health, so it’s no surprise that CES 2022 is showcasing many innovations that focus on helping you improve your mental wellbeing. One such product is the Reflect Orb personal companion that’s designed to help you sit back, relax, and focus on calm and de-stressing for a moment.
Here’s how it works: settle into a nice spot where you feel comfortable, activate the Orb, a sphere-shaped device, by placing both hands on either side. This will automatically queue up a session. You can pair the session with your favourite calming music or white noise playlist or focus on guided meditation or simply concentrated breathing. The ring on the Orb illuminates in different colours as you work through a session, which helps you understand your journey.
At the heart of the device is biofeedback, shown to help you understand your physiology in real-time. When you place your hands on the soft, cloth-covered ball, it uses six electrodes situated by your fingers to measure data like heart rate variability (HRV), which is a reliable predictor of stress, and electrodermal activity (EDA). The light ring, meanwhile, indicates how calm (or stressed) you are based on this information. You can then use strategies like adjusting how you are sitting, breathing slowly, or simply tuning out the world around you to settle down.
By using the device and reflecting on the information, you may be better equipped to regular your internal processes. You might not realize, for example, that you’re feeling stressed. But once able to recognize the signs and see the results via biofeedback, you can take the necessary steps to breathe, stay focused, and calm your nerves.
Sessions are available in different lengths, all selectable from the companion app. Once you’re done, check the app to get details on your progress, keep a journal, and reflect on the sessions you have done. You don’t need to have it connected to your phone while you’re using the Orb, but keeping it connected allows the data to upload to the cloud and save in the app right away. Or, use it offline, then connect later to upload the information. This means you can take the Orb with you to a yoga retreat or other places where phones aren’t permitted and still leverage its benefits.
The company says the purpose of the Orb is to help you “find and develop a greater connection to yourself.” Stress, after all, can be caused by numerous factors, whether it’s work or school, family, finances, or even biological changes in the body or feelings of anxiety. So, we could all use some time to wind down, relax, and reflect without any distractions.
The product is geared towards those who are new to meditation and mindfulness, serving as a guide to help you through the process. For those who don’t want to wear a headband or have to tap buttons on a tech device, like a phone or even smartwatch, to run a mindfulness or breathing exercise, the Reflect Orb is a unique, and somewhat low-tech, alternative that can help keep the distractions at bay.
