Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Constant exposure to stress can have harmful consequences in people's lives, including heart diseases and depression, and contributes to behaviours such as smoking, over-consumption of alcohol, and unhealthy eating habits. According to a recent report published by the Government of Canada in 2015, 30% of the working force population of this country considered themselves quite a bit or extremely stressed in the previous year. As health care moves towards a more personalized practice, taking characteristics and aspects of a patient's life into consideration, personal mobile phones and wearable devices can be used as tools to empower individuals with valuable information. Using participatory design practices and keeping in mind the individual's lifestyle, this research proposes a design exploration on how data generated through the use of these mobile devices can support a person to achieve a less stressful life. Encouraging people to take a more preventive approach regarding their health could not only help them enhance their well-being, but also make them less susceptible to the harmful consequences of stress.