New Brain Treatments Are Training Us to Stress Less

Smart devices draining your battery? Try some that recharge it instead. Cutting-edge wearable technology is a core feature of neurowellness, a growing field that helps users regulate their brains to promote rest and reduce mental overload.

In a nutshell, brain drain or brain rot is a form of mental overload triggered by excessive screen time. Sleep problems can result; a 2025 study published in the Frontiers of Psychiatry scientific journal linked a one-hour increase in screen time after going to bed with a 59% higher risk of insomnia. Another study, published MDPI, found that adolescents who spent 4 to 6 hours on screens each day were 23% more likely to experience anxiety and 25% more likely to suffer from stress. Although the two are not necessarily connected, neurowellness may be an antidote to widespread brain drain.

"Neurowellness is an emerging discipline focused on optimizing whole health by supporting the well-being and adaptability of the nervous system," Susan Magsamen, founder and executive director of the International Arts + Mind Lab for Applied Neuroaesthetics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine told Newsweek. "Unlike traditional clinical approaches that are primarily concerned with diagnosing and treating disease, neurowellness is fundamentally about lifestyle, prevention and human flourishing."

A clinically validated digital assessment designed to evaluate key domains of cognitive performance, including memory, attention, concentration, processing speed, executive function, and reasoning. The test generates a personalized cognitive profile, identifying cognitive strengths and areas for improvement while establishing a baseline for long-term brain health monitoring.

SHA Wellness resort offers Cognitive Function Testing for its clients. The results of the testing, a series of computer-based games surrounding memory and awareness, help guide personalized strategies aimed at supporting cognitive health, optimizing mental performance, enhancing neuroplasticity, and promoting long-term cognitive resilience.

“At SHA, we view cognitive health as one of the fundamental pillars of longevity. Our Neurocognitive Unit combines advanced assessment tools, personalized cognitive training, and evidence-based neuromodulation techniques to help patients better understand their brain function, identify opportunities for optimization, and support long-term cognitive resilience. The goal is not only to address existing concerns, but to take a proactive approach to preserving cognitive performance throughout life.” Dr. Jair Olivares, clinic direction at SHA Mexico, told Newsweek.

Clients come to SHA locations to reset their mental load, among other reasons, through a variety of treatments and exercises, from acupuncture to massage and yoga, among other things.

Ranked as one of the year's top trends by the Global Wellness Summit, neurowellness is more than just technology. At the same time, it's hard to imagine the trend without it.

One example is the Pulsetto FIT, a device worn around the neck that stimulates the vagus nerve to regulate stress more effectively, among other potential benefits. Another comes from Elemind, which offers a headbandthat reads brainwaves to improve sleep.

"When you're lying awake, your brain is producing alpha oscillations, the activity of a mind that won't switch off," said Meredith Perry, Elemind's co-founder and CEO. "Elemind essentially noise-cancels those waves…It reads, responds, and adapts to you, every night, in milliseconds."

The NeuroWellness Center in Colorado takes a holistic approach to its clients. The center uses talk therapy alongside tech tools like brain mapping to inform lifestyle recommendations.

"We believe healing is most effective when multiple evidence-based modalities are stacked together to support the whole person," said Jennifer Kovach, the center's owner and lead neurofeedback specialist told Newsweek. "Rather than relying on a single intervention, we combine tools that optimize brain function, regulate the nervous system, and support emotional and behavioral change. This integrated approach is the foundation of what we define as neurowellness."

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This story was originally published June 26, 2026 at 6:36 AM.