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Mung beans are known to be among the smallest beans in the world and have a shelf life of 2-3 years. I want the smallest bean, as this would come closer to the types of pellets that fill weighted/bean bag type objects. The smaller the pellet, the less bulky my product will feel.

However, i have come across an issue where i have read that exposure to oxygen can shorten the shelf life of beans. This is due to the fact that oxygen can lead to rancidity in bean oils. This made me think, how can i store the beans inside the weighted components with an air tight seal. Usually air tight seals are made of plastic, however this would not comply with my definition of ‘minimal environmental footprint’. I then thought of biodegradable plastic rubbish bags and thought that this material would be great for sealing the beans inside of the chair.

https://www.doesitgobad.com/do-dried-beans-go-bad/

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Defining a ‘minimum’

so if i am going to define my minimum as the minimum ‘environmental footprint;, i was doing some research and one of the most environmentally friendly fabrics is recycled  cotton. Up cycled cotton is made using post-industrial and post-consumer cotton waste. According to the igg Materials Sustainability Index, recycled cotton is a more sustainable alternative to both conventional and organic cotton. it has the potential to help reduce water and energy consumption as well as help keep cotton clothes out of the landfill.

for the filling of the weighted bag elements, i thought that it could be interesting to use some sort of low effect grain (for the environment) as this would create the weight and act as the beads in a usual weighted blanket or bean bag.

of the different grains, it is said that legumes were good for the environment  because they work with the bacteria that converts atmospheric nitrogeen into useful ammonia or nitrates. legumes are proven to improve soil fertility and reduce depedence on energy intensive fertilisers.

legumes also have a shelf life of 2-3 years which could make my design intervetion product durable for some time, before able to throw away the contents where they can biodegrade into the land.

https://goodonyou.eco/most-sustainable-fabrics/act

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office chair form inspiration

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I have started thinking about how to merge some of the artifiafts and presedences I have researched by combining them into a weighted sort of chair that works by the pressure induced calmness discovered in the weighted blanket

. I thought that maybe I could make a bean bag object with a weighted element incorporated into it however I thought this wasn’t noticeably different enough from the objects I previously researched. And how would my object be better than just a regular weighted blanket or bean bag?

From there I decided that maybe I would specifically target work/study and creating an intervention for the anxiety in those sort of scenarios. I looked at some eganomic office chairs to inspire what a chair sort of weighted calming object might look like. Above are some sketches for the type of form I am thinking of.

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issues / thoughts on artifacts

from researching some of the objects in the market for anxiety and stress relief,the number 1 issue that i think speaks to me is the lack of sustainable consideration/Eco-friendly materials. Although some brands have considered the waste of material, most of the artifacts i have found use plastics which require much energy to produce -for example the beads in the weighted blanket or bean bag. Or the plastics/materials used are non-biodegradable.

i think this leads me to consider ideas for the ‘minimum’ and that maybe it could be interpreted as a minimum environmental footprint?

ideas for minimums and maximums - minimal environmental footprint, maximum anxiety /stress relief?

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Research behind weighted blankets for anxiety

When the body experiences stress, the heart rate naturally increases. When this happens, lowering the heart rate can lead to feelings of calmness and cause a soothing sensation. Pressure calms the body by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers heart rate when experiencing stress. Weighted blankets use pressure therapy which is a calming amount of pressure on the body which is similar to the feeling of being hugged, stroked, or held by another person.

“The pressure of weighted blankets puts your autonomic nervous system into “rest” mode, reducing some of the symptoms of anxiety, such as a quickened heart rate or breathing. This can provide an overall sense of calm.”

https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2019/february/weighted-blankets

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Moon Pod artifact review

this was interesting to see how a use approached and experienced the product

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Artifact

Moon Pod -      Anti-Anxiety float chair

is advertised to uniquely support any body shape for maximum comfort and relaxation. The high density of beads inside are said to mimic the sensations of Flotation Therapy, which had been known to help reduce stress and anxiety levels

flotation therapy - flotation therapy is a procedure/experience where the client simply floats in a tank designed to remove excess stimuli. This helps the body reach a restorative state,physically and mentally. The tank is filled with highly saturated epsom salt water that makes the body completely buoyant.

the bean bag chair is most known or its ergonmics and target the common problem of sagging in bean bags.

Sustainability of the product -

Moon pod have claimed that this product was made to last and that it is durable with the test of time.

Moon pod is filled with a custom density bead (does not specify the material of the bead however) and claims they will last for years. They have parterened with a fully sustainable manufacturer that recycles all od their unsed materials from every other type of project they work on into each subsequent project. So they do focus on using up all of the materials.

Moon pod have partnered with a manufacturer in Asia to produce the outer and inner shells and the inner filler/assembly is manufactured in the US where it is then posted to customers. The out material is likely not sustainable then, as they have said they have been cost efficient and made in Asia.

Materials - it is difficult to find the materials they have used. They describe the filling as -high-friction custom beads. After watching a review video, i found out  the cover is made of spandex and the interior pellets are made of polystyrene. So these materials are not very sustainable/ec-friendly at all

price - moon pods are $299 at discount and $399 full price for the full size, however there are smaller products, such as a neckpillow available too. it is pricey compared to other bean bags in the market, however there are supposedly few bean bags like this on the market

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVyogIu9wds

https://www.moonpod.co/pages/faq

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artifact 3

Heated neck pillow

This neck pillow is microwavable to heat and wraps around your neck for comfort and soothing sensation. It is said to melt away tension in the neck and shoulders. The pillow also contains lavender and chamomile which act as a kind of aromatherapy for added relief

This pillow is made of polyester yarn, which is said to be unsustainable, being plastic. it is a synthetic petroleum based fiber and therefore made from a carbon-intensive non-renewable resource.

some of the reviews of the product mention that it is not very durable and doesn’t retain heat well, so these are some downsides. however i am still interested in the idea of a heating pad for the neck and tension relief in that area

reference for polypropylene info- https://ecocult.com/exactly-polyester-bad-environment/

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artifact 2

Ajna Acupressure Mat for Massage - Natural Organic Linen Cotton Acupuncture Mat 

This mat is advertised to provide relief from back pain, neck, pain, stress. It is an acupressure mat for pain and stress that claims to melt away tension in a natural way. The 5000 ergonomically designed spike activate the bodies innate healing response and energy pathways. Lying on the mat and massaging your body relax and massage the muscles are claimed to stimulate the release of endorphins and lull users to sleep

eco-friendliness -the company claim to be concerned about their environmental footprint and have removed any excess packaging. the product is also dye, toxin and foam free. It is made from natural linen and coconut fibre

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Artifact 1- weighted blankets

weighted blankets are usually made of 3 components, the blanket, blanket cover, fillings and stuffers(which weigh blanket down)

blanket component-most blankets come with padding to cushion between the filling and the user. this is usually made of fleece , cotton, chenille, polyester.

then there is the cover - most weighted blankets include the cover which is removable for washing. fabrics used for the covers are cotton, flannel, fleece, linen, microfiber etc

blanket stuffers- the main categories of weighted fillers are-

(2nd photo) plastic poly pellets-small round plastic beads that feel like pebbles. made from polypropylene, they are considered sad and non-toxic

(3rd photo) micro glass beads- these are tiny little glass beads that resemble grains of sugar. they sit spread our and more densely withing the blanket. blankets with micro glass beads tend to be thinner and feel smoother on the body

(4th photo) steel shot beads. these are micro steel balls which are heat treated. They are smooth to touch however being larger than the glass beads, they can be lumpy and noisy

(5th photo) miscellaneous stuffers eg sand, grain, pebbles - these are more unorthodox weighted blankets. Although cheaper, it is said that and clusters up inside the pockets of the stuffing and will supposedly make blanket lumpy in areas. With other organic materials such as pebbles or rocks however, they sometimes have issues with fully drying out if you wash them

reference https://hushblankets.com/blogs/sleep/what-are-weighted-blankets-made-of

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Researching mental health and anxiety (in general and in New Zealand)

Modern day anxiety.

Here i have just paraphrased some of the most important points about anxiety in the modern world from a few different resources.

Triggers-

the digital world==

social media.   people comparing themselves on social media, especially with their physical appearance, lifestyle and friends. We are constantly exposed to unrealistic beauty standards. People experience a fear of missing out and constantly seeing the highlights of other people’s life create unrealistic standards of happiness or exitingness, which can make people feel as though their lives are inadequate compared to those always traveling or bragging about their engagement ring etc

online communication.  misinterpretations of messages can lead to a lot  of stress and anxiety about what the other person is meaning or trying to say. the social clues that usually help us understand this when we speak with someone in person are taken away and we can often react to something based on a misinterpretation to someone text, email or even use of emoticons etc We can often jump to the worst case scenario

reference for above info -- https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi-qomb-frpAhUA73MBHZFfD8QQFjACegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.talkspace.com%2Fblog%2Fmodern-life-causes-anxiety-what-to-do-about-it%2F&usg=AOvVaw3HWUN7Y6fF807BskwOajGt

its not that anxiety did not previously exist, but the triggers have certainly changed. We still experience the same anxieties over poor health lonlines,s work stress, trauma, violence, poverty, family issues. even in the modern world, some of these anxieties have been on the rise where the possibilities of divorce are normalized, childhood abuse or neglect, increased working hours, general lack of control over our own destinies - especially among young people.

Some of the more traditional causes of anxieties have declines such as poverty, poor health and to some extent, unemployment. But new anxieties have been creeping in.

modern technology- perpetual connectivity has provided new source o anxiety, For this stems the need to be connected 25/7, the need to multitask, increasingly emotional news alerts and unfortunate events, loneliness, Social media use is associates with social anxiety, loneliness and can generate feelings of disconnectedness

“we are told anxiety is a legitimate response to the stressed of modern day livinng, and anxiety is almost considered a status symbol that signals how busy and saccessful we are”

on the other hand, we are told anxiety is an issue in need of treatment, and hte pramaceutical industry has rushed to medicalize anxiety and sell a solution for it

So, yes, we do have a modern anxiety epidemic, but then so have most previous generations. The difference is that in our modern era we have a whole set of new and evolving anxieties and a growing awareness of anxiety as a potentially distressing and disabling state

https://www.psychologytoday.com/nz/blog/why-we-worry/201811/is-there-anxiety-epidemic

the modern world is very wonderful in many ways that we have such advanced medicine (which keeps advancing), transport works well, we can easily keep in touch with people - however is it causing ahigh backhround level of anxiety and widespead low-level depression

causes-

meritocracy- our society tells us that everyone is free to ‘make it’ if they have the talent and energy. Anyone can be sucessful. However, the downside to this beautufl idea is that any percieved lack of success is taken to be a sign of lack of talent or laziness, whereas in the past, may have been percieved by an accident of misfortune. The idea that if those as the top deserve all of their success, then those at the bottom surely deserve their failure. A society that thinks of itself as meritocratic turns povery from a problem to evidence of damnation and those who have failed from unfortunates to losers. Here the ideas of LUCK (which says sucess doesnt depend on talent and effort) and TRADGEDY (meaning good,decent people can fail and deserve compassion)

romanticism - the philosophy of romanticism tells us that that every one of us has a soul mate that can make us completely happy. This sets unrealistic expectations for us when in reality, every relationship comes with a set of problems and will make us feel as though the reality is a disaster compared to our original hopes

media - media is a huge part of our lives that has a lot of prestige, but it actually often draws our attention to things that scare, worry, panic, or enrage us while denying us agency or chance for effective personal action. It typically shows us the least admirable sides of human nature without balancing exposure to normal good intentions,

perfection -

modern society makes us believe that it is very possible for us to be profoundl content, sane and accomplished. As a result we end up loathing ourselves, feeling week, and sensing we’ve wasted our lives. https://www.theschooloflife.com/thebookoflife/how-the-modern-world-makes-us-mentally-ill/

statistics

approximately 1 in 4 New Zealanders will be affesct by an anxiety disorder at some stage in their lives. At any one time, 15% of the population will be affected. An anxiety disores is when axiety is so string it interfers with ability to carry out day to day life and are thought to be very common.

https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/health-a-z/a/anxiety/

The 2017/18 New Zealand Health Survey found that: One in six New Zealand adults had been diagnosed with a common mental disorder at some time in their lives. This includes depression, bipolar disorders and anxiety disorders. Nearly 9 percent of adults had experienced psychological distress in the past four weeks.

https://www.cph.co.nz/your-health/mental-illness/

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Project 3

So far I am quite interested in creating a design intervention for the issue of mental health in New Zealand. I am thinking to maybe specify with anxiety? and creating some sort of product which soothes people

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