Digital Tools Combat Work Stress

Stress is not a bad thing per se, on the contrary: it helps us to perform at our best in challenging situations. It becomes harmful when we can no longer switch off in the evening or at the weekend, when stress is not reduced and becomes chronic.

Modern technologies can effectively support us in managing stress, for example in recovery and relaxation. A virtual reality (VR) supported stress management training developed at our lab achieves significantly greater physical relaxation than the same training on a screen.¹ It teaches you to control your own heart activity through breathing - while your heartbeat is measured and visualised in real time using VR.

The clever thing about it is that the technology is only used when learning the breathing exercise, after which the method works without any technology and contributes to relaxation after just a few breaths. However, the trick is to apply what you have learnt at the right moment. Here, too, new technology can provide support.

Light and dark sides

Thanks to artificial intelligence, we are able to detect stress at the workplace using only mouse and keyboard activity.² If the mouse pointer is moved more frequently and less precisely, for example, this is an indication of stress. By collecting data selectively so that no conclusions can be drawn about individuals and activities, privacy and data security remain guaranteed. The majority of employees surveyed (64 per cent) are also interested in using digital stress management for themselves.³