Waze's Headspace integration seeks to reduce stress while driving in heavy traffic situations. One of the features includes a Spotify playlist that lets its users listen to numerous relaxing audio.
Illustration picture shows a telephone with Waze navigation app in Edegem, Thursday 26 March 2020. From March 18th, new measures are taken to avoid the spread of the Covid-19.
Waze's Headspace Integration and Driving Stress
It looks like Waze's latest feature in collaboration with Headspace acknowledges that driving could really be an undeniably stressful task. Even more, when commuting along roads with grueling traffic situations.
That said, Headspace and Waze attempt to lessen the anxiety and stress when strolling behind the wheel.
According to TheHustle's latest report, studies prove that driving is definitely stressful, and its ill effects could extend to the person behind the wheel even when they are no longer on the road.
For instance, the study of the UK Office of National Statistics showed that drivers end up with increased anxiety and decreased happiness after merely 15 minutes behind the wheel.
What's more, the analysis of the Journal of Public Economics further found out the increasing domestic violence is partly due to the heavy traffic in Los Angeles.
Read Also: Apple Maps on iOS 14.5 Is Like Waze with Hazards, Speed Traps, Accident Reports, and MORE!
Waze's Headspace Integration: What to Expect
With all of that said, Waze's Headspace Integration introduces some features that mainly seek to make its users' driving experience more sooting.
According to Android Headlines, the Headspace theme allows users to replace their avatar with varying moods, such as joyful, bright, hopeful, aware, and open. On top of that, they could also change their car icon into a giant hot air balloon.
However, if visual changes still do not do the job, the Headspace theme on Waze does not end there.
As mentioned, the latest theme on Waze is also integrated with Spotify, letting its users play a playlist that only included relaxing tunes. Not to mention that they could also listen to the roster of podcasts that Headspace produced.
If all of those are still not enough to lessen the stress, there is also an option to replace the audio navigation with the voice of the director of meditation at Headspace, Eve Lewis Prieto, himself.
Prieto went on to point out that driving is not all about being stressful. Instead, it is surprisingly a way to practice mindfulness as it requires people behind the wheel to practice awareness, focus, as well as use their senses, including feeling, seeing, and hearing.
Waze Theme
It is not the first time that Waze introduced a theme to its platform. Last Dec. 11, 2020, the GPS navigation app released a fancy "Santa" Mode, which rolled out a holiday voice.
Related Article: Waze Debuts 'PAW Patrol,' Making the Drive More Kid-Friendly-Here's How to Use for Navigation
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Teejay Boris
