Somebody's Diaries

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You might have heard of NuCalm, because the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, was pictured wearing their disks, or because Tony Robbins is a huge promoter of the brand. Still, even though they have received lots of endorsements, lots of people still ask themselves: is this just a clever marketing strategy, is NuCalm just a scam or a hoax, aimed at the most desperate of us, who are ready to pay anything for a magic fix?! 

I set out to find out the truth! As someone who has autism, ADHD, years of debilitating anxiety and panic attacks, chronic fatigue, and an array of other health issues, I was the perfect candidate to test the NuCalm app.

Let’s start with the basics…

What is NuCalm and how does it work?

NuCalm was founded 30 years ago by Dr Blake Holloway, who set out to find natural solutions that can help people suffering from acute PTSD. After lots of research, NuCalm was born as a transcranial stimulation device that aimed to help your body move from a sympathetic state to a parasympathetic state in less than 30 minutes. Lots of athletes and other professionals started using these devices, but they proved to be too expensive for the mainstream public as they cost thousands of dollars. So NuCalm went on a mission to find a way to make this technology more widely available for the public, and they found a way to create the same effect with neuroacoustic software that guides your brain waves to different frequencies, from the highest frequencies associated with peak mental state and concentration to the lowest frequencies associated with deep sleep. 

Nowadays, NuCalm is an FDA-approved treatment that is even used as anaesthesia during dental procedures. The system is used by professional athletes, the US military, celebrities, doctors, and pilots.

NuCalm works on the brain by bringing alert beta brain wave function down to the alpha/theta ranges.

Beta brain waves are associated with fear, stress, and anxiety.

In order to achieve sleep, your brain needs alpha brain waves to relax. They are considered the first stage of sleep and are associated with relaxation and peacefulness found during deep meditation.

NuCalm manages to bring down stress levels (fight or flight) by bringing beta waves down to alpha/theta waves, thus entering a parasympathetic state (or rest and digest).

NuCalm offers six products that range from supporting deep sleep and relaxation to helping with focus and peak mental performance, all in one app. The app subscription ranges from $14.99 per month for one of the six products to $49.99 for all of them. They also offer annual and lifetime plans as well as a 7-day free trial to start with.

My experience with NuCalm

Full disclaimer, I was approached by NuCalm as an affiliate partner and I was given access to the app for free, being able to test all the products. However, I was insistent on being able to share my honest feedback with my community and the team at NuCalm had no objection to that. I was in no way influenced by my affiliation with them in writing this review. 

I was very, very sceptical when I first started using the app, because I have used many meditation apps throughout the years and I have tried anything and everything that’s out there for mental health with little to no success. So I was very far away from expecting a magic pill.

In all honesty, my first session felt a bit uncomfortable. I am someone who needs to be in control all the time and being cut off from my senses in a way (not seeing and hearing anything apart from the app) made me feel uneasy. They warn you that individuals who are sympathetically dominant might initially feel uncomfortable in this deeply relaxed and vulnerable state, but this will eventually resolve as your nervous system balances. As someone who has experienced childhood trauma, I am definitely sympathetically dominant and struggle to not be hyper aware of my surroundings all the time. 

Rescue Journey for Stress, Anxiety and PEM symptoms

However, I stuck with it and after two or three sessions I started to feel so incredibly relaxed and comfortable during my RESCUE sessions that I felt like it was putting me in a literal state of coma. I definitely needed longer than the advertised 20 minutes – there are days when I needed 90 mins, other days when I needed 30 minutes and anywhere in between, but they advise you to put the timer on the maximum and allow your body to do its thing and wake you up when you’ve had enough for the day. I started noticing that I come out of it feeling so much more refreshed and energised and I tested it on the days when I was hit with PEM from overexertion and I was amazed at how much it decreased the PEM symptoms and how much quicker I was able to go back to my baseline. It is definitely not a magic pill that cures my CFS/ME – nothing of the sorts – but it helps me be more stable with my symptoms.

I was worried that the effects will subside with time, because my brain will get used to the sounds and they will stop being so effective, which has happened to me in the past with meditation apps and YouTube videos – they would work amazingly for a week or two and then nothing. But I never got to a point where NuCalm stopped being effective, because they have many different tracks and you get a new one every time, and even when they start repeating, my brain has forgotten them and they act as if this is the first time I am hearing them.

I have also noticed a significant improvement in my REM sleep and HRV as you can see below from my Oura ring data. NuCalm have also published a study on Heart Rate Variability in anxiety and depression treatment here.

Focus Journey for ADHD

One day I was struggling to finish my boring admin tasks, and I felt literally paralysed doom-scrolling on my phone instead of doing the work. If you have ADHD, you know very well what I am talking about.

Then I thought that maybe I should give the FOCUS journey a try because it is supposed to help with productivity. I put it on, and I finished all of my boring work in about an hour without even realising it! I was in the zone and doing one thing after another without getting distracted by anything. Time just passed by while I was in hyperfocus doing something completely uninteresting! I couldn’t believe what had happened once I was done.

They also offer programs for Productivity, Brain Health, and Trauma Healing, which help you create daily habits and reach long-lasting results, and you can get 10% off anything on their website using code LAURA10.

I would definitely recommend them to anyone struggling with their mental or physical health, as they are a great and easy alternative to medication, and it is something that you can carry with you everywhere – as long as you have a phone and headphones, you have access to NuCalm!