---
title: "This Is How We Will Reduce Anxiety In The Future"
description: "A slew of alternatives to medications are helping people battle stress and anxiety."
date: "2017-07-26"
modified: "2017-07-26"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/this-is-how-we-will-reduce-anxiety-in-the-future"
categories:
  - "Health & Medicine"
tags:
  - "anxiety"
  - "depression"
  - "gravity blanket"
  - "stress"
---

# This Is How We Will Reduce Anxiety In The Future

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/muse_gaiam-1.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="http://www.choosemuse.com/" target="\_blank"\>Muse\</a\>\</em\>*

### Disclaimer

Futurism only supports products that we use and love. The Gravity Blanket is one of those products. A subsidiary of Futurism launched this product and Futurism collects a share of the sales from the items featured on this page.

## Stressed Out

Every year, the world around us moves a little faster, and it's easy to stumble and get stressed out as we try to catch up with it. Almost [every fifth person](<https://www.adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics>) in the United States has an anxiety disorder, costing the country more than $42 billion a year. Nearly half of those who suffer from depression are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder as well.

While sufferers would be wise to reach out to professionals for help, they can also take certain measures on their own to improve their everyday lives. The following tools may not be as effective as consulting a professional, but they could certainly lead to a less anxious and stress-free life in the future.

## Virtual Reality

![This Is How We Will Reduce Anxiety In The Future](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/vr.png>)
*Image Credit: Lockheed Martin*

Virtual reality (VR) isn't just for gamers — it can be used as a tool to reduce anxiety and [curb the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)](<https://futurism.com/experimental-virtual-reality-ptsd-therapy-gets-traumatized-soldiers-walking-toward-relief>) as well.

By transporting the user to another time and place inside a virtual 3D-rendered environment, researchers are trying to [send PTSD sufferers](<http://ict.usc.edu/prototypes/pts/>) mentally back to the scenes that first triggered their anxieties and fears. [In other clinical trials](<https://techcrunch.com/2016/01/06/virtual-reality-therapy-treating-the-global-mental-health-crisis/>), virtual reality technology is being used to recreate a setting with a private therapist sitting across from the patient.

The Berkeley Well-Being Institute is trialing its own [anxiety-reducing VR method](<http://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/virtual-reality-relaxation.html>) by relaxing the patient through "virtual wellness," a suite of apps that range from deep-breathing exercises to star flight simulations.

## Headspace

![This Is How We Will Reduce Anxiety In The Future](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/headspace.png>)
*Image Credit: Headspace*

[Meditation](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/no-meditation-isnt-overrated-heres-how-you-can-use-it-to-change-your-brain>) has been a common practice for thousands of years. Its history is intricately bound to religious practices, but secular forms have become increasingly popular as a way to relax and reduce anxiety.

The popular app [Headspace](<http://headspace.com>) has been developing its own technique through the [science of mindfulness](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/the-newest-mindful-meditation-trend-is-downloadable>). According to [the](<https://www.headspace.com/science>)[ir websi](<https://www.headspace.com/science>)[te](<https://www.headspace.com/science>), "a number of studies \[...\] have initially found that online mindfulness training does produce results similar to in-person training."

Not only can app-based mindful meditation reduce anxiety, it can sharpen your concentration at work and help you sleep better.

## The Gravity Blanket

![This Is How We Will Reduce Anxiety In The Future](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/gravity-1.png>)
*Image Credit: Gravity Blanket*

The idea of a weighted blanket aiding in reducing stress and anxiety is a proven concept. Weighted blankets such as the [Gravity Blanket](<https://gravityblankets.com/>) have been shown to increase serotonin and melatonin levels, helping users relax and sleep.

The Gravity Blanket is made of high-grade microfiber on the outside for an exceptionally soft feel and maximized comfort. Users will never miss a minute of sleep again.

## Muse Headband

![This Is How We Will Reduce Anxiety In The Future](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/muse.png>)
*Image Credit: Muse*

Rather than reaping the benefits of meditation through an interactive app on a smartphone, a company called [Muse](<http://www.choosemuse.com/>) is trying to help sufferers reduce anxiety with the aid of a sensing headband. The Muse headband uses EEG-neurofeedback sensors to guide a wearer step-by-step through customized meditation programs.

## emWave2

![This Is How We Will Reduce Anxiety In The Future](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/emwave2.png>)
*Image Credit: HearthMath*

HeartMath's [emWave2](<https://store.heartmath.com/emwave2>) promises increased athletic performance and a reduction of stress by providing users with real-time heart rhythm feedback. The idea is to be able to [act upon this information immediately](<https://store.heartmath.com/emwave2>), thereby "balancing your mind, body, and emotions."

## Thync

![This Is How We Will Reduce Anxiety In The Future](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/thync.png>)
*Image Credit: Thync*

The [Thync](<http://www.thync.com/>) wearable is designed to help users overcome negative thoughts and anxiety with daily sessions that last for 10 minutes.

[According to their website](<http://www.thync.com/science>), the Thync uses low levels of electrostimulation to "activate specific nerve pathways on the head and neck." The science behind the technology has been developed by a team of neuroscientists from MIT, Harvard and Stanford over the last five years.

## Sensory Deprivation

![This Is How We Will Reduce Anxiety In The Future](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/sensror.png>)
*Image Credit: WikiMedia Commons*

Imagine yourself inside a completely dark pod, floating in a pool of high salt content water. Feeling relaxed yet?

The so-called sensory deprivation tank treatment is burgeoning into a cult phenomenon of sorts, and the idea behind it is simple: spend 45 to 90 minutes inside the tank without any external stimuli.

The treatment is said to reduce stress and anxiety, enabling you to forget the hardships of everyday life — assuming you aren't claustrophobic, that is.

## Cryotherapy

![This Is How We Will Reduce Anxiety In The Future](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/cryo.png>)
*Image Credit: Thrive Drip Spa*

Cryotherapy — spending about three minutes in a -151.1 degree Celsius (-240 degree Fahrenheit) chamber — is no longer reserved for top-level athletes. It's supposed to help burn calories and leave you in a relaxed state, figuratively freeze-burning the stress away.

There are a number of [first-person accounts](<https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/after-party-chat/201604/i-tried-cryotherapy-treatment-depression>) and small-scale [clinical trials](<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2734249/>) of cryotherapy aiding in anxiety reduction and treating depression, but the practice has yet to become widespread.

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)