This project explores how interactive design creates emotionally accessible anxiety relief through playful body interaction, sensory feedback, and real-time environments. Inspired by observations of obsessive-compulsive disorder, it investigates how anxiety is physically expressed through repetitive movement and body tension, questioning whether interaction design can provide alternative emotional support that feels playful and engaging.

Research combined interviews, behavioral observation, body-movement studies, and experiments with tension–release mechanisms inspired by Progressive Muscle Relaxation and biophilic design. Early wearable devices felt restrictive and emotionally heavy, prompting a shift toward playful digital interactions. The final outcome is interactive healing games in TouchDesigner using body, hand, and facial tracking. Physical actions—shaking, gripping, releasing, emotional expression—become calming visual feedback through particle systems, blooming flowers, and natural imagery. The project explores how interactive technology creates moments of emotional comfort and psychological reassurance for individuals with OCD, anxiety, and wider audiences.