2026-09-21T09:22:48Z https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/130218 2026-02-10 col_2142_5131 col_2142_17356 com_2142_5130 com_2142_14307 com_2142_5126

application/pdf en text Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2027-08-01 The student, Xinran Yue, accepted the attached license on 2025-07-23 at 13:52. The student, Xinran Yue, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2025-07-23 at 13:52. This Thesis was approved for publication on 2025-07-24 at 16:49. DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #22689 on 2025-10-25 at 15:54:29 OMS: rapid stress relief through behavior-intervention design Yue, Xinran 2025-07-24 Dearborn, Lynne Heaton, Rachel Ekici, Didem Anxiety Disorders Stress Management Behavioral Intervention Temperature Regulation Sensory Feedback Wearable Product Design eng Stress, especially stress from anxiety disorders, significantly impacts individuals, particularly those who face stress alone. About one-third of Americans experience anxiety disorders, lasting an average of seven months, and costing $33 billion annually in medical expenses. There are four existing solutions. Slowed and regulated breathing, known as mindfulness and meditation; focused behavioral activation therapy; outbreak active projection; and emotion regulation strategies. However, the effectiveness of these current solutions for treating anxiety and stress is limited, as none of them offer immediate relief, except for immersing your head in cold water. These current solutions are also expensive and socially stigmatizing. Thus, this study focuses on creating a more elegant, inconspicuous, immediate, cost-affordable, and dry alternative. This study aims to design an innovative product that directly addresses anxiety symptoms through temperature regulation and to foster broader acceptance of anxiety as a common and manageable experience. Through mixed-method research and market analysis, this project discovered that existing approaches do not effectively break the vicious cycle between anxiety symptoms and physical behaviors. The design of the proposed product provides immediate sensory feedback by cooling the cheek and targets specific anxiety symptoms, including difficulty breathing, finger fidgeting, and facial flushing, thereby filling a significant market gap. The study demonstrates that this product not only alleviates anxiety by breaking the link between anxiety symptoms and physical behaviors but also improves users’ overall quality of life, proving its practical value and effectiveness in managing anxiety. This design also visually conveys the message that anxiety and stress deserve open conversation and social understanding. 2025-08 Text https://hdl.handle.net/2142/130218 Copyright 2025 Xinran Yue Art & Design Art and Design University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign M.F.A. Thesis