Wireless, Nanomembrane Soft Electronics for Continuous Stress Monitoring and Management Practice in Daily Life

Stress is one of the leading causes that increase the risk of severe health problems. Due to the numerous sources of stress that are inevitable in daily life, the effective monitoring and management of stress are essential to maintain a healthy life. The electrodermal activity, also called galvanic skin response (GSR), is one of the key indicators that directly correlates with emotional arousal and cognitive states through sensing skin conductance change, activated by the sympathetic nervous system. Recent wearable devices have monitored stress levels via GSR on the skin. Also, some of these devices show the capability of assessing stress relief methods. But, prior works have been limited in a controlled laboratory setting with a short period assessment (< 1 hour) of stress intervention. The existing systems' main issues include motion artifacts and discomfort caused by rigid and bulky electronics and mandatory device connection on active fingers. Here, we introduce soft, wireless, skin-like electronics (SKINTRONICS) that offers continuous, portable daily stress, and management practice monitoring. The ultrathin, lightweight, all-in-one device captures the change of a subject's stress over six continuous hours during everyday activities, including desk work, housework, and resting. Simultaneously, the SKINTRONICS proves that typical stress alleviation methods (mindfulness and meditation) can reduce stress levels, even in the middle of the day, which is supported by statistical analysis. The low-profile, wireless, gel-free device shows enhanced breathability and minimized motion artifacts compared to a commercial stress monitor. This study collectively shows the first demonstration of soft, nanomembrane bioelectronics for long-term, continuous assessment of stress and intervention effectiveness throughout daily life.