Wendy Moore, our Chief Operating Officer, shares how she uses VR as mental fitness tools for her mental health.
Are you using any wearables with it? BrainLink EEG headband or Apple Watch?
Yes, I use the BrainLink EEG with both the VR & AR apps, and I also use Apple Watch with AR when I’m on the go.
What are you hoping to achieve by using Healium? (example–improve focus, self-manage anxiety, etc.)
Initially, I started using Healium to self-manage anxiety and stress. This is definitely still the case, and I also love the new Focus protocol that lets me pop into Healium in the middle of the day and do a quick focus session to get my mind back on track.
How long have you been using Healium?
Over a year.
Describe your first or most recent VR/AR experience.
I got into virtual reality about four years ago when I bought the Google Daydream with my Pixel phone. I was quickly hooked on VR, and soon after upgraded to PSVR for gaming. When I discovered Healium, it expanded my thinking to include using VR for more than gaming with the mental health application. Coming to work for Healium, I’ve learned more about the immersive media industry than I ever dreamed, and I’m a true XR Nerd now.
What would you say to someone who is curious about using virtual reality as a wellness tool?
You have to experience it to truly appreciate the impact of using this type of immersive media tied in with your own brainwaves. I get to share VR with a lot of first-timers, and every time it’s just a great WOW moment when they put on the goggles and see their brainwaves for the first time. Just “getting away” in VR is amazing, and you can truly feel like you’re somewhere else just by slipping on a headset.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I am incredibly passionate about Healium because I believe so strongly in mental health and balance. I’m open about my own lifelong journey with anxiety and depression because I want to bring awareness to and change the perception of these disorders. I am a very upbeat and driven person who doesn’t fit the “typical” persona of anxiety or depression, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a daily struggle. One in 13 people worldwide suffer from anxiety, and many of those are suffering in silence without proper tools to calm their racing thoughts.
Healium is a critical tool in my own mental health toolkit that helped me establish a regular mindfulness practice to build my mental awareness and resilience. You can’t lift anyone else up without filling yourself up first, and practicing mindfulness and other good self-care is essential to a healthy lifestyle.
With Healium, we are always working to make the proven practice of daily mindfulness more accessible and easier to achieve so that our users, and ourselves, have the tools to combat a constantly changing and noisy world.
