InnerPause

Inspiration

ADHD makes “calm down” feel impossible. You try to sit, but your brain won’t stop moving. Thoughts keep popping in. Stress builds fast. We noticed something: feelings get easier to handle when they’re not stuck in your head. That's why we built InnerPause. It lets you drop what you’re feeling into a space, spread it out, and take a quick reset — simple, gentle, and ADHD-friendly.

What it does

InnerPause is spatial emotional wellness for busy minds, especially for people with ADHD.

It’s a simple, immersive 3D space where you can:

• drop your feelings into the space around you
  
• read gentle prompts that quiet the noise
  
• get recommended activities to ease heavy moments
  
• take micro-pauses and short meditations to reset
  
• follow guided videos for navigating hard times
  
• do quick check-ins that actually feel caring
  

All through an immersive experience that helps you breathe, regulate, and feel better.

How we built it

• A front-end web app built using React, Typescript, and Vite.
• A spatial immersive 3D experience using Web Spatial SDK.

Challenges we ran into

• Too many features = too much friction. ADHD users bounce when the setup takes too heavy. We kept trimming until it felt usable in 10 seconds.
• Designing “calm” without feeling boring. We went with a minimal, low-stimulation color theme, but still had to keep it warm and inviting — not empty or dull.
• Getting the tone right. We wanted it to feel supportive and human, without sounding clinical, cheesy, or like another productivity app telling you to “try harder.”

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud that InnerPause became a real, working app — not just an idea. Building something ADHD-friendly that feels gentle (not overwhelming, not preachy) is something we genuinely care about, because it’s a problem we all relate to — trying to calm down when your brain won’t slow down. We also did a lot of research while designing it, especially around what actually helps ADHD users: low-friction flow, minimal overwhelm, and calm, supportive guidance while taking advantage of Web Spatial immersive experience. Seeing InnerPause turn stress into a small, manageable “pause” feels meaningful. And honestly, brainstorming, learning, and figuring it out together made the whole process fun, intense, and really rewarding.

What we learned

• ADHD support is often about reducing activation energy: fewer steps, fewer decisions, faster feedback.
• People don’t want another app telling them to be disciplined. They want a softer environment that helps them recover and feel better.

What's next for InnerPause

• Adaptive check-ins: the app changes prompts based on how you feel after a session.
• More research & testing: get feedback from people with ADHD or mental health professionals to improve prompts, pacing, and what actually feels calming.
• Personalized spaces: let users save calm layouts, favorite prompts, or go-to routines so InnerPause feels more like their safe space over time.

Built With

• react
• typescript
• visionpro
• webspatial