FAQ’s

Your place to find out all the answers to your questions.

The Resony app

Where can I download the Resony app?

The Resony app is available to download for free from the Apple and Play stores.

What does the Resony app do exactly?

Resony is designed to help you to reduce negative stress and anxiety, and improve low mood, by building positive resources for resilience. It offers 6 scientifically-validated techniques based on a unique mind-body approach for stress and resilience. The app enables you to track your well-being, receive personalised techniques, and control your body’s natural stress responses.

Is the Resony app free?

We have both a free and paid version of the app. You can download and use the free version without any time limit. The free version does not give you access to all the modules and resources that you get in the paid version – but you still have access to many of the most important ones that can really help you manage your anxiety and stress.

How much is the paid version of the app?

If you wish to upgrade to the paid version of the app, you can either pay for an annual or monthly subscription. The pricing of the app is £49.99 for an annual subscription, or £5.99 per month for a monthly subscription.

What extra is included in the paid version?

The paid version of the Resony app gets you access to all 6 modules without any restrictions or locked content. With the free version, you only have access to 2 of the modules within the full Resony app.

I have a problem getting the app to work - where can I get help?
Is the app based on credible science?

The app has been developed in conjunction with Dr. Peter Gruenewald, who is a worldwide renowned stress and resilience expert. This means that highly credible science has been incorporated right into the app so you can be assured that the exercises you are doing within the app are based on scientifically proven techniques and protocols.

How long do I need to use the app for?

You can achieve good results with the Resony app from as little as just 10 minutes use per day. We recommend that for best results, you use the app most days for a period of at least 6 weeks, but you are free to continue using the app for as long as you need it and find it beneficial.

Is the app suitable for more serious anxiety conditions such as Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?

Yes, the app can be used a wide range of anxiety including Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Because you can pick and choice which specific modules you compete within the app, you can tailor it towards your unique requirements and the particular level and intensity of anxiety that you are currently experiencing.

Should I use the app if I have other conditions alongside my Anxiety?

This depends on the specific combination of conditions that you have, as there are some conditions where use of the app might not be the best option. We recommend that you consult a medical professional to get advice on whether the app is a good option for you if you have one or more other conditions  besides anxiety.

Does the app install any software or code on my smartphone?

No, when you download the Resony app it does not install any other third-party software or applications on your device. We take privacy and data protection very seriously and would not do anything to compromise your data.

Is my data and personal details protected when I use the app?

Your login to the app is tied to your email address, so no-one can log in to your account unless they have your email and other personal information. All of our backend systems are fully protected so that only you can access your data.

Paid subscriptions

How do I upgrade to a paid subscription?

Simply login to your free account in the app and click to access one of the paid modules – you’ll then be prompted to enter your payment details and other required information to unlock that module by upgrading to a paid account.

How can I cancel a paid subscription?

You can cancel a paid subscription you have with us at any time. Because we are an app, you have to cancel your subscription either through your Google Play account or your Apple App Store account. You’ll need to access your account in the respective store, and then navigate to the section listing your paid apps and use the options there to cancel your subscription with us. If you need any help with this at any time then please do not hesitate to contact us at support@resony.app and we’ll be happy to assist you.

How do I find out the status of my paid subscription?

You’ll have to do this through either your Google Play acccount or App Store account that you subscribed to the app from. Simply log in to the Google Play or App Store account that you signed up with, and navigate to the paid subscriptions section where you’ll be able to see the status of your subscription including details such as renewal date and payment amounts etc.

Will I get a receipt for my paid subscription?

Yes, you’ll receive an email receipt either from the Google Play store or the App Store confirming your purchase. 

Anxiety & Stress

What is Anxiety & Fear?
Fear is one of the most powerful emotions. It has a very strong effect on your mind and body. Fear can create strong signals of response when we’re in emergencies – for instance, if we are caught in a fire or are being attacked. It can also take effect when you’re faced with non-dangerous events, like exams, public speaking, a new job, a date, or even a party. It’s a natural response to a threat that can be either perceived or real.
Anxiety is of a general nature, whereas fear is directed to an inner or outer experience in the past, present or future. Fear and anxiety can last for a short time and then pass, but they can also last much longer, and you can get stuck with them. In some cases, they can take over your life, affecting your ability to eat, sleep, concentrate, travel, enjoy life, or even leave the house or go to work or school. This can hold you back from doing things you want or need to do, and it also affects your health. Some people become overwhelmed by fear and want to avoid situations that might make them frightened or anxious. It can be hard to break this cycle, but there are lots of ways to do it. You can learn to feel less fearful and to cope with fear so that it doesn’t stop you from living. Lots of things make us feel afraid. Being afraid of some things – like fires – can keep you safe. Fearing failure can make you try to do well so that you won’t fail, but it can also stop you doing well if the feeling is too strong. What you’re afraid of and how you act when you’re afraid of something can vary per person. Just knowing what makes you afraid and why can be the first step to sorting out problems with fear. Because anxiety is a type of fear, the things we’ve described about fear above are also true for anxiety. The word ‘anxiety’ tends to be used to describe worry, or when fear is nagging and persists over time. It is used when the fear is about something in the future rather than what is happening right now. Anxiety is a word often used by health professionals when they’re describing persistent fear. The ways that you feel when you’re frightened and anxious are very similar, as the basic emotion is the same.
Why do I feel anxious?

When you feel frightened or seriously anxious, your mind and body work very quickly. These are some of the things that might happen:

  1. Your heart beats very fast – maybe it feels irregular
  2. You breathe very fast
  3. Your muscles feel weak
  4. You sweat a lot
  5. Your stomach churns or your bowels feel loose
  6. You find it hard to concentrate on anything else
  7. You feel dizzy
  8. You feel frozen to the spot
  9. You can’t eat
  10. You have hot and cold sweats
  11. You get a dry mouth
  12. You get very tense muscles
These things occur because your body, sensing fear, is preparing you for an emergency, so it makes your blood flow to the muscles, increases blood sugar, and gives you the mental ability to focus on the thing that your body perceives as a threat. With anxiety, in the longer term, you may have some of the above symptoms as well as a more nagging sense of fear, and you may get irritable, have trouble sleeping, develop headaches, or have trouble getting on with work and planning for the future; you might have problems having sex, and might lose self-confidence. The physical feelings of fear can be scary in themselves – especially if you are experiencing them and you don’t know why, or if they seem out of proportion to the situation. Instead of alerting you to a danger and preparing you to respond to it, your fear or anxiety can kick in for any perceived threat, which could be imaginary or minor. Fear may be a one-off feeling when you are faced with something unfamiliar. But it can also be an everyday, long-lasting problem – even if you can’t put your finger on why. Some people feel a constant sense of anxiety all the time, without any particular trigger. There are plenty of triggers for fear in everyday life, and you can’t always work out exactly why you are frightened or how likely you are to be harmed. Even if you can see how out of proportion a fear is, the emotional part of your brain keeps sending danger signals to your body. Sometimes you need mental and physical ways of tackling fear. Fear and anxiety can affect all of us every now and then. It is only when it is severe and long-lasting that doctors class it as a mental health problem. If you feel anxious all the time for several weeks, or if it feels like your fears are taking over your life, then it’s a good idea to ask your doctor for help, or try one of the websites or numbers listed at the back of this booklet. The same is true if a phobia is causing problems in your daily life, or if you are experiencing panic attacks.
If you always avoid situations that scare you, you might stop doing things you want or need to do. You won’t be able to test out whether the situation is always as bad as you expect, so you miss the chance to work out how to manage your fears and reduce your anxiety. Anxiety problems tend to increase if you get into this pattern. Exposing yourself to your fears can be an effective way of overcoming this anxiety.
What can I do to reduce fear and anxiety?
  1. Practice Engagement Training: this guided audio breath training reduces anxiety in the short and long term. After having become skilled in practicing this technique you can practice it whilst processing past scary experiences or mentally rehearsing future scary events. Whenever you experience anxiety or fear in this process, refocus on the sounds of the breath pacer, the contraction and expansion and the breathing process, until you are able to expose yourself mentally to the previously frightening experience with calmness and confidence. For more severe manifestations of fear you may need the support of a mental health professional.
 
  1. Practice Journaling techniques, such as Constructive Worry and Constructive Gratitude
Naming emotions in an actively detached manner allows us to neutralise emotions such as fear, anxiety, dread, apprehension etc. Identifying the underlying belives behind your feelings can also be of help.
Focusing on positive emotions such as gratitude opens allows us to access inner resources of self-esteem and confidence.
 
  1. Practicing relaxation exercises such as Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Autogenic Training
Scientific research has shown that relaxation exercise can significantly reduce mental, emotional and physical anxiety and fear.
 
  1. Exercise
Increase the amount of exercise you do. Exercise requires some concentration, and this can take your mind off your fear and anxiety.
 
  1. Healthy eating
Eat lots of fruit and vegetables and try to avoid too much sugar. Resulting dips in your blood sugar can give you anxious feelings. Try to avoid drinking too much tea and coffee, as caffeine can increase anxiety levels. Avoid refined food and eat healthily. Prae- and probiotics work on the microbiome in your gut and may improve your mental and emotional health and wellbeing.
 
  1. Avoid alcohol, or drink in moderation
It’s very common for people to drink when they feel nervous. Some people call alcohol ‘Dutch courage’, but the after-effects of alcohol can make you feel even more afraid or anxious.
  1. Talking therapies
Talking therapies, like counselling or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, are very effective for people with anxiety problems, including Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which takes you through a series of self-help exercises on screen. Visit your GP to find out more.
 
  1. Medication
Drug treatments are used to provide short-term help, rather than looking at the root of the anxiety problems. Drugs may be most useful when they are combined with other treatments or support.
 
  1. Support groups
You can learn a lot about managing anxiety from asking other people who have experienced it. Local support groups or self-help groups bring together people with similar experiences so that they can hear each other’s stories, share tips and encourage each other to try out new ways to manage themselves. Your doctor, library or local Citizens Advice bureau will have details of support groups near you.
What is Stress?

Stress is our body’s and mind’s response to pressure from a situation or life event. We all have an individual threshold, which turns stimulating and performance enhancing pressure into experience of tension, withdrawal and poor performance. Stress can be sudden and short lasting (acute stress) or prolonged and ongoing (chronic or long-term stress). When stress is short lasting we can quickly return to full recovery. The problem arises, when recovery is slow or incomplete. Long term stress can undermine our physical and mental health, aggravating or creating physical and mental health ,such as anxiety disorders and depression.

Why do i feel stressed?

We feel stressed, whenever the experienced pressure of a life situation or event exceeds how threshold of coping. If the disparity between pressure and coping is not too high, acute stress is stimulating and life and performance enhancing. If the disparity is too high or continues for a long period of time, stress undermines our physical health and performance.

How can I reduce the negative impact of stress?
As there are two different psycho-physiological responses to too high and prolonged pressure, fight or flight response and freeze and flop response, there are also two effective ways of reducing stress: Relaxation, that reduces fight and flight response and Engagement, that overcomes the freeze and flop response and, to a lesser degree, also lowers the fight and flight response.
What is the Fight or Flight Response?
This response is experienced as tension as well as over-attachment to or entrapment in challenging life situations or events. We experience this situation as strain.
On a physiological level we experience for example raised blood pressure, increased heart rate, shallow and fast breathing, increased muscular tension and insomnia. The sympathetic nervous system is activated and there is an increase in Cortisol and Noradrenalin, which can cause chronic health problems, when raised over longer periods of time, such as chronic inflammation, coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes, and eating and weight problems.  
What is the Freeze and Flop Response?
Rather than fight or flight or competing when under pressure, we can resort to collaborating, tending and befriending or we can inwardly retreat.
On a physiological level this inner retreat leads to the capacity to rest and digest, and ultimately regeneration and recovery. Heart rate and blood pressure lower, the breathing becomes slower and deeper, muscles relax, and we are feeling sleepy and ready to let go.
When pressure prevails or exceeds in intensity, what we are able to cope with, our mind and body go into a state of freeze, flop and numbness with an unhealthy tendency to feel paralysed or to withdraw. Persisting over longer periods of time, this can lead to paralysis, abnormal detachment (disassociation) and even depression 
What is low mood?
Low mood is associated with a sense of unhappiness, tearfulness and sadness. It can be the result of grieve and loss and is as such part of a healthy grieving response. When persisting longer, it can turn into depression, and may be associated with other symptoms, such as lack of enjoyment of activities previously enjoyed (anhedonia), memory problems, insomnia and even thoughts and impulses of self-harm and suicide. Suicidal or self-harming thoughts and impulses can pout your health and life at risk and require professional support.
Whenever the symptoms are severe and/or persistent please always seek immediate advice from a health practitioner or therapist.
How can I reduce low mood?
  1. Practice Engagement Training:
This guided audio breath training reduces low mood in the short and long term, and helps to experience positive emotions such as joy, appreciation and enthusiasm.
 
  1. Practice Journaling techniques, such as Constructive Gratitude
Focusing on positive emotions such as gratitude allows us to access positive emotions such as joy, appreciation for ourselves and others, and build self-esteem and confidence.
 
  1. Practicing relaxation exercises such as Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Autogenic Training
Scientific research has shown that relaxation exercise can significantly reduce mental, emotional and physical anxiety and fear.
 
  1. Physical exercise
Increase the amount of physical exercise you do. Physical exercises increase the production of endorphins and serotonin, which are important for the experience of joy and happiness.
 
  1. Healthy eating
Eat lots of fruit and vegetables and try to avoid refined food and too much sugar. Prae- and probiotics work on the microbiome in your gut and may improve your mental and emotional health and wellbeing.
 
  1. Avoid alcohol, or drink in moderation
It’s very common for people to drink when they are feeling low in mood. In the short term this may seem to help, but in the longer run it may aggravate symptoms of low mood and depression and also increase the risk of accidents, harm to others and self-harm.
  1. Talking therapies
Talking therapies, like counselling or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, are very effective for people with depression, including Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which takes you through a series of self-help exercises on screen. Visit your GP to find out more.
 
  1. Medication
Drug treatments are used to provide short-term help, rather than looking at the root of your depression. Drugs may be most useful when they are combined with other treatments or support.
 
  1. Support groups
You can learn a lot about managing depression and anxiety from asking other people who have experienced it. Local support groups or self-help groups bring together people with similar experiences so that they can hear each other’s stories, share tips and encourage each other to try out new ways to manage themselves. Your doctor, library or local Citizens Advice bureau will have details of support groups near you.

Mindfulness

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. Mindfulness is a quality that every human being already possesses, it’s not something you have to conjure up, you just have to learn how to access it.

What does Mindfulness encompass?

There are three core aspect to mindfulness:

  1. Developing active detachment or observer consciousness (which you will practice with the Constructive Worry exercise, when you name your emotions with detachment– Metacognition)

  2. Developing loving kindness and compassion towards yourself and others, which is being facilitated through the Constructive Gratitude exercise

  3. Giving any physical or mental activity you do your undivided attention, rather than multi-tasking. Staying in the experience of the Now’, rather than straying with your thoughts or imagination into the Past or Future.
What are the Mindfulness techniques we offer?
The two mindfulness exercises, ‘Mindful Observation’ and ‘Active Listening’, enhance train the ability to give your undivided attention. The help overcome misunderstandings, overcome a sense of isolation and loneliness, give us a sense of profound connectedness with nature and our fellow human beings. They also help you to improve focus, concentration and memory.
The instruction for these two very important exercises can be found in the Resony app. When practicing the exercises in day to day situations, you will not use the app and in fact, it would be best of you would switch your phone on silent or off, when practicing these exercises.
What are the specific benefits of Mindfulness?

Mindfulness improves well-being. Increasing your capacity for mindfulness supports many attitudes that contribute to a satisfied life. Being mindful makes it easier to savor the pleasures in life as they occur, helps you become fully engaged in activities, and creates a greater capacity to deal with adverse events. By focusing on the here and now, many people who practice mindfulness find that they are less likely to get caught up in worries about the future or regrets over the past, are less preoccupied with concerns about success and self-esteem, and are better able to form deep connections with others.

Mindfulness improves physical health. If greater well-being isn’t enough of an incentive, scientists have discovered that mindfulness techniques help improve physical health in a number of ways. Mindfulness can: help relieve stress, treat heart disease, lower blood pressure, reduce chronic pain, , improve sleep, and alleviate gastrointestinal difficulties.

Mindfulness improves mental health. In recent years, psychotherapists have turned to mindfulness meditation as an important element in the treatment of a number of problems, including: depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, couples’ conflicts, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Resonance Breathing

What is Resonance Breathing?

Resonance frequency breathing is a way of breathing (slow relaxed diaphragmatic breathing at around 3-7 breaths per minute) that has a regulating effect on the autonomic nervous system and other key body systems such as the circulatory system.

Resonance Breathing, also called Resonant Frequency Training, is an audio-guided (biofeedback) physiological Heart rate Variability Training to enhance emotion regulation (neutralising negative emotions and shifting to positive emotional states). It has been successfully used in the treatment of negative and stress related conditions, anxiety, depression, anger management and insomnia.

When practicing the guided breathing technique, you will align breathing rhythm, blood pressure rhythm and heart rate variability top create a state of resonance. This increase of resonance trains the flexibility and adaptability of body, emotional responding and mind and strongly enhances your biorhythms towards promoting good physical and emotional health and wellbeing and performance.

As you practice this exercise once or twice daily for 5 to 10 minutes (up to 20 minutes), you will not only improve your symptoms but acquire a transferable skill that allows you to trigger the physiology of engagement whenever you re exposed to pressure and challenging circumstances. This will allow for optimal emotion regulation under duress and good judgement and decision making and optimal behavioural response during challenge and in crisis.

What are the benefits of Resonance Breathing?

There have been hundreds of scientific studies performed in relation to resonance breathing, which show a wide array of benefits, including:

  • Increases pulmonary function
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Has positive applications for anxiety and depression
  • Improves baroreflex gain
  • Improves heart rate variability
  • Tones the vagus nerve
  • Increases resiliency
  • Increases the ability to handle stress
  • Leads towards emotional balance
  • Clinical improvements in asthma

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

What is Progressive Muscle Relaxation?

Progressive Muscle Relaxation works by tensioning, holding the tension and relaxing of one muscle group at a time, starting from the eyebrows and working step by step down the body to the toes.

As the muscles get tensed and relaxed, the level of tension in this muscle group will sink below base line, which allows to relax the whole muscular system of the body via a spinal reflex. Once the body is relaxed, the brain considers that we are safe and will allow the mind to follow suit into a deep state of relaxation.

How does Progressive Muscle Relaxation work within the Resony app?

Our sound files will gently guide you through the 15-minute exercise that focuses on Progressive Muscle Relaxation. This exercise is best performed at night but can also be practiced 2x or 3x daily.

After a while you will not need the sound file anymore as you will know how to do this exercise by yourself.

Where did Progressive Muscle Relaxation come from?

Progressive muscle relaxation was developed by American physician Edmund Jacobson, and presented first in 1908 at Harvard University.

In 1929, Jacobson published the book Progressive Relaxation, which included a detailed procedure for removing muscular tension. His work led to the use of the word “relax”, in the sense of “to become less tense, anxious or stressed, to calm down. It has been well researched and shown to be effective for stress reduction, reduction of anxiety, insomnia and chronic pain. It also helps to recover from strain.

CBT-based techniques

What are CBT-Based Techniques?
Progressive Muscle Relaxation works by tensioning, holding the tension and relaxing of one muscle group at a time, starting from the eyebrows and working step by step down the body to the toes. As the muscles get tensed and relaxed, the level of tension in this muscle group will sink below base line, which allows to relax the whole muscular system of the body via a spinal reflex. Once the body is relaxed, the brain considers that we are safe and will allow the mind to follow suit into a deep state of relaxation.  Our sound files will gently guide you through this 15-minute exercise. This exercise is best performed at night but can also be practiced 2x or 3x daily. After a while you will not need the sound file anymore as you will know how to do this exercise by yourself. Do not worry when you leave out some muscle groups when practicing; the exercise will still be effective, if you only work on a 4 or 5 muscle groups. Also do not feel concerned if you change the sequence of the muscle groups; it will not impact on the efficacy of the exercise. Should you suffer from insomnia, it may be helpful to practice this exercise initially before going to bed, until you have learned the technique (usually within 2 to 3 weeks) and feel its benefit.
Progressive muscle relaxation is an easy and quick to learn and to practice relaxation technique. It was developed by American physician Edmund Jacobson and presented first in 1908 at Harvard University. In 1929, Jacobson published the book Progressive Relaxation, which included a detailed procedure for removing muscular tension. His work led to the use of the word “relax”, in the sense of “to become less tense, anxious or stressed, to calm down. It has been well researched and shown to be effective for stress reduction, reduction of anxiety, insomnia and chronic pain. It also helps to recover from strain.
What are the CBT-based techniques we offer?

We have introduced two third wave CBT-based techniques in our Resony App to reduce stress, anxiety and low mood: Constructive Worry and Constructive Gratitude.

What is third wave CBT?

Like any field of thought or science, psychotherapy is constantly changing and being added to.

The third wave we are now seeing is in response to cognitive therapy, and it has been in progress for over a decade. So, it is often called ‘third wave CBT therapy’, as it is an attempt to troubleshoot and progress the tools of cognitive therapy.

The third wave is a movement away from the cognitive focus on what we think and feel, and towards a focus on how we relate to what we think it feel.  

Have a question that you’d like to ask?

If you have a burning question that’s not covered above, then get in touch with us and we’ll do our best to get it answered for you asap.

support@resony.app