From Self-Awareness to Peer Support: A Tangible Device for Physiological Stress Sharing

Stress-tracking technologies based on physiological data have been widely used to promote self-awareness, yet most of them remain focused on the individual self. In this context, digitally shared stress data to foster empathy and peer support has proved to be effective in supporting everyday stress management; however, lots remain unexplored about tangible forms of stress sharing. This work presents a first iteration of a tangible prototype that enables real-time sharing with a remote peer of stress levels inferred from Heart Rate Variability (HRV) data, and mediates stress management through peer feedback. We invited 16 participants grouped into pairs; each pair interacted with the prototype and participated in semi-structured interviews. Preliminary findings reveal that the device can shift users’ attention away from stressful events and self-focused awareness toward their peers’ caring responses. This work extends the application of stress-tracking technologies from individual self-management towards mediated forms of peer support.