Inspiration

🌸 TE・A・TE - A Gentle Wellness App for the Mind

Since my late teens, I have struggled with panic disorder, anxiety, and episodes of major depression. In my mid-30s, I experienced a relapse that reminded me how isolating and terrifying these episodes can be.

In my journey, I wished for something — or someone — to gently "place a hand over my heart" when I couldn’t ask for help.

I discovered that over 280 million people worldwide suffer from anxiety disorders (WHO, 2019). That realization inspired me to build TE・A・TE — a multilingual, self-care app that helps people ground themselves, even when they feel like the world is slipping away.

The name "TE・A・TE" comes from the Japanese word 手当て (teate), meaning "to gently place a hand"

What it does

Breathing training with soft, circular animation and optional sound guidance
Daily mood & reflection tracker (simple YES/NO check-ins + free writing)
Interactive chats with a comforting bunny companion
Dynamic messages based on your mood slider
Weather-integrated mood logs
Multilingual support with offline PWA capability

How we built it

Built using Next.js 14, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS
Framer Motion powers smooth breathing animations
Supabase handles database, authentication, translations, and sync
OpenAI (GPT-4o + TTS) provides soft-spoken conversations
Integrated with OpenWeatherMap API for contextual reflection
Offline-first with PWA, syncing data to the cloud when logged in

Challenges we ran into

Creating a UI/UX that feels emotionally safe during moments of panic or fatigue
Designing breathing animations that are both intuitive and calming
Balancing natural translation with emotional resonance across languages
Ensuring chatbot interactions stay emotionally appropriate and secure

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Crafting a non-demanding interface that welcomes users on tough days
Connecting breathing, journaling, mood tracking, and chat into a cohesive, gentle flow
Implementing fully translatable UI for multilingual empathy
Supporting offline use while enabling cloud sync on login — access anywhere, anytime

What we learned

Emotional safety and continuity are core to effective self-care
Tech shouldn’t try to "fix" people — it should create a space where it’s okay to be fragile
Prompt design and audio feedback have a powerful effect on emotional regulation