Workplace stress management app for Gen Z professionals
A proactive wellness tool that helps users recognize stress early and take intentional breaks using the Let Them Theory framework.
Pulse Break is a mobile wellness application developed as part of Johnson & Johnson's Technology Awareness Program (TAP). This MVP demonstrates a behavioral approach to workplace stress management, specifically designed for new graduates and young professionals transitioning into the workforce.
Workplace stress is an invisible burden affecting millions of employees daily:
- 62% of workers report high stress levels impacting job performance (UKG Global Study 2024)
- 52% of Gen Z professionals experience burnout within their first year of work (Seramount 2025)
- 83% of U.S. workers suffer from work-related stress, costing American businesses $300B annually (American Institute of Stress)
- Existing wellness resources (gym memberships, hotlines, courses) require time and effort that stressed workers don't have
Pulse Break takes a proactive, behavioral approach:
- Early Detection — Users manually log stress levels before they escalate
- Immediate Intervention — App suggests short breaks (10-15 min) when stress is high
- Mindset Reset — Guided reflection using Mel Robbins' Let Them Theory helps users distinguish controllable vs. uncontrollable stressors
- Pattern Recognition — History dashboard helps users identify stress triggers over time
Key Differentiator: Unlike reactive wellness apps, Pulse Break combines stress tracking with behavioral psychology (Let Them Theory) to address root causes, not just symptoms.
Build a functional mobile app prototype demonstrating:
- Stress check-in with emoji scale (1-5)
- Smart evaluation (low/moderate/high stress detection)
- Break recommendation when stress is high
- Let Them Theory reflection prompts
- Controllable vs. uncontrollable stressor ratio tracking
- Stress history dashboard
The complete Pulse Break platform would include:
- Smartwatch biometric integration (Apple HealthKit, Wear OS)
- Machine learning stress prediction (Azure ML)
- Microsoft Calendar integration for proactive scheduling
- Manager notification system (privacy-preserving)
- Enterprise dashboard for HR wellness programs
This project is grounded in verified research on workplace stress and wellness:
Workplace Stress Statistics:
- UKG Global Study 2024 — Employee burnout and performance impact data
- Seramount 2025 — Gen Z workplace stress and retention trends
- American Institute of Stress — U.S. workplace stress prevalence and economic impact
- Wellhub 2024 — Corporate wellness program effectiveness research
Behavioral Framework:
- Mel Robbins, The Let Them Theory (2024) — Framework for distinguishing controllable vs. uncontrollable stressors, core to our reflection prompts
- Direct interviews with employees experiencing workplace stress
- Insights on existing wellness program limitations (energy courses, gym memberships, hotlines)
The Winning Team — Johnson & Johnson TAP Program
| Role | Name | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|
| Project Lead & Developer | Alexander Hsieh | Technical architecture, React Native development, data integration, presentation lead |
| UX/Design Lead | Vince Watson | User experience design, visual design, Let Them Theory content, presentation design |
| Data Engineer | Javin Vance | Data models, storage strategy, analytics, QA testing |
- TAP Faculty & Mentors — Project guidance and technical mentorship
- J&J IT Management — Industry insights and enterprise context
- Subject Matter Experts — McKenzie Henry, Zandria Johnson
- Framework: React Native with Expo SDK 51+
- Routing: Expo Router (file-based, tab navigation)
- Data Storage: AsyncStorage (local, on-device)
- Language: TypeScript
Cloud Infrastructure:
- Azure Functions — Serverless stress evaluation processing
- Azure Machine Learning — Stress prediction and pattern recognition
- Azure SQL Database — User profiles, wellness history, reflections
- Azure Blob Storage — Raw biometric logs (compliance)
- Azure Service Bus — Manager notifications (privacy-preserving)
- Azure API Management — Rate limiting, security
Integration Layer:
- Microsoft Graph API — Calendar sync for proactive break scheduling
- Apple HealthKit / Wear OS SDK — Biometric data (heart rate, HRV)
Why Azure?
- J&J is Microsoft-heavy (Office 365, Teams environment)
- Seamless integration with Microsoft Calendar
- Enterprise-grade security and compliance (HIPAA, GDPR)
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/[your-username]/pulse-break.git
cd pulse-break
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Start the development server
npx expo startRunning on your phone:
- Open Expo Go on your phone
- Scan the QR code shown in your terminal
- iOS: use the default Camera app
- Android: use the QR scanner inside Expo Go
- App loads on your device
pulse-break/ ├── app/ │ ├── _layout.tsx # Tab navigation (Check-In, History) │ ├── index.tsx # Home / stress check-in screen │ ├── break.tsx # Break recommendation screen │ ├── reflection.tsx # Let Them Theory reflection screen │ └── history.tsx # Weekly check-in history dashboard ├── content/ │ └── reflection-prompts.json # Let Them Theory prompt library ├── utils/ │ └── storage.ts # AsyncStorage read/write utilities ├── docs/ # Project documentation │ ├── MVP_BUILD_SPEC.md │ ├── WORK_SPLIT.md │ ├── GITHUB_ISSUES.md │ ├── AI_PROMPTS.md │ └── GITHUB_ISSUES_FOR_BEGINNERS.md ├── package.json └── README.md
- MVP_BUILD_SPEC.md — What we're building (features, priorities, timeline)
- WORK_SPLIT.md — Team responsibilities and daily breakdown
- GITHUB_ISSUES.md — 20 pre-written issues for project tracking
- AI_PROMPTS.md — Ready-to-use prompts for Claude/ChatGPT code generation
- GITHUB_ISSUES_FOR_BEGINNERS.md — How to use GitHub Issues (beginner-friendly)
- Storyboard v2 — 7-scene user journey with Azure architecture
- Color Palette: Sage (#7A9E7E), Teal (#3D8B8B), Coral (#D4715A), Cream (#F8F5EF)
- Typography: DM Sans (body), DM Serif Display (headings)
Visual Identity:
- Calm and professional — Not clinical or urgent
- Approachable — Friendly without being childish
- Minimal cognitive load — Clear hierarchy, single action per screen
- Encouraging tone — Supportive, not judgmental
UX Principles:
- Zero onboarding — Understand how to use in under 5 seconds
- Under 3 taps to start a break — Reduce friction when stressed
- Progressive disclosure — Advanced features don't clutter basics
- Privacy-first — User data stays on device (MVP), opt-in sharing (future)
- Local storage only — All data stays on device (AsyncStorage)
- No cloud sync — No external data transmission
- No tracking — No analytics, telemetry, or third-party SDKs
- User control — Clear data with one tap in settings
- Privacy-preserving notifications — Managers get stress signals, not raw data
- Opt-in data sharing — Explicit consent required
- Encryption at rest — Azure SQL Database encryption
- HIPAA/GDPR compliance — Enterprise-grade data protection
- Anonymized aggregation — Company trends without individual identification
- Check-in flow: Tap emoji → see confirmation → data saves
- Stress evaluation: High stress (4-5) triggers break screen
- Break flow: Dynamic break window shows correct next 15-min slot
- Break flow: Start break → reflection screen loads
- Reflection: Both response options work, data saves correctly
- Reflection: Controllable vs. uncontrollable ratio updates in history
- History: Past check-ins display, sorted by date
- History: Stats bar shows correct check-in and high stress counts
- History: Let Them Breakdown ratio bar renders when reflections exist
- Data persistence: Restart app, data still there
- iOS (various iPhone sizes)
- Android (various screen sizes)
- Real device via Expo Go
- No offline sync conflict resolution
- No multi-user support
- No real calendar integration (next available slot is calculated, not pulled from a real calendar)
- Limited to past 7 days of history
Total Duration: 7-8 days (aggressive sprint)
| Phase | Duration | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Setup & Decision | Day 1 | Tech stack chosen, project initialized |
| Core Features | Day 2 | Check-in, evaluation, break, reflection working |
| Nice-to-Haves | Days 3-4 | History dashboard, data persistence, ratio tracking |
| Polish & Demo | Day 5 | UI refined, demo ready, backup prepared |
Milestone: Minimum viable demo (check-in → break → reflection) complete by Day 5.
- All Priority 1 features functional
- App runs without crashes
- Data persists across sessions
- Demo-ready on real device
- Live demo works smoothly (under 3 minutes)
- Audience understands Let Them Theory differentiator
- Clear connection between MVP and full vision
- Team can answer technical questions confidently
- Team gained mobile development skills
- Connected conceptual design to implementation
- Demonstrated working software to stakeholders
This is an academic project for J&J's TAP Program. External contributions are not currently accepted.
Daily Workflow:
- Check GitHub Issues assigned to you
- Review AI_PROMPTS.md for coding assistance
- Build, test, commit your work
- Update issue checklists and close when done
- Attend daily 10-min standup
Before Committing:
- Test your changes manually
- Ensure no console errors
- Follow existing code style
- Update relevant documentation
This project is developed as part of Johnson & Johnson's Technology Awareness Program and is intended for educational and demonstration purposes only. Not for commercial use.
- GitHub Issues — Track project progress
- Project Documentation — Full specs and guides
- Storyboard — Visual user journey
- Johnson & Johnson IT Management for the TAP opportunity
- TAP Faculty for guidance and mentorship
- Subject Matter Experts (McKenzie Henry, Zandria Johnson) for industry insights
- Mel Robbins for the Let Them Theory framework
Pulse Break — Because stress doesn't take a day off, but you can.