‘Time-out’ benches support wellness and improve happiness
New tech-enabled benches are placed in stressful environments in New York to celebrate a new mindfulness app from wellness brand Shine
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Forget the yellow taxis, it’s all about the yellow benches for stressed out millennials in New York. The ‘time out’ benches, which are painted in the happy-making hue bright yellow, have been put in some of the city's most stressful environments to offer busy commuters the chance to make some space for themselves.
The benches are the brainchild of the team behind Shine, a new iOS app which delivers a modern and personalised approach to mindfulness and meditation. Anyone who grabs a break by sitting on the benches can sample the Shine app content for free through its built-in digital display and headphones, helping to support modern wellness rituals.
Shine Co-founders Marah Lidey and Naomi Hirabayashi explain that the app offers a library of interactive audio “Mindful Moments” with topics ranging from ‘Ditching a Toxic Friend’ to ‘Self-Care for Online Dating’ and ‘Slaying Your Workday’.
This isn't the first time public benches have been used to help improve happiness. BenchesCollective is a Dutch organisation that turns public benches into dynamic meetings points to help foster a sense of community.
Over 1,300 public seating areas have been listed as meeting points on the BenchesCollective website, with users deciding when their bench will be ‘open’ and what they’ll offer. Activities range from badminton to beer-tasting, to simply sharing stories or recommendations.
In an increasingly hectic, digital world, benches offer a chance for people to take time out and reconnect.
The Shine app is available on the App Store for all iOS devices now. Visit www.shinetext.com/app for more information.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments