I have tried a lot of things to optimize my brain and body. I have run every day for nine years. I have fasted for 15 hours a day. I stopped eating meat. I even stopped taking too many vitamins because I was poisoning my nervous system.
But sometimes, diet and exercise aren’t enough to manage the anxiety and depression that linger in the background. I’ve read about medication and therapy, but being a tech-savvy introvert, I am naturally drawn to a solution that involves a gadget I can use alone in my home.
Enter Flow Neuroscience.
The Pitch
A headset that uses Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to treat depression by delivering a weak electrical current to the front of your brain.
It sounds like science fiction. But the science claims it helps stimulate neurons in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain that helps regulate mood and often gets sluggish when you are depressed.
The Routine
The treatment protocol is basically a new streak waiting to happen. You wear the headset for 30 minutes, five times a week for the first three weeks. After that, you taper down to a maintenance schedule.
30 minutes is a manageable chunk of time. I already spend more time than that playing Magic: The Gathering or trying to figure out how to pull a decent shot of espresso. The headset connects to an app (because of course it does) that tracks your progress.
I love data, and I love tracking things, so this appeals to my broken brain.
The Cost
As someone who obsesses over tracking finances, the price tag is the biggest hurdle. You can buy the device outright for around $500, or you can “rent” it on a subscription model.
Is $500 a lot? Yes. Is it a lot compared to years of therapy co-pays or medication? No.
But buying a piece of hardware that might end up in the drawer next to my old Fitbit and GoPro is a risk. I hate wasting money on things that don’t provide value.
The Risk
I am generally skeptical of “wellness” devices. I thought taking massive amounts of B12 was a good idea until my hands started going numb.
I don’t want to start zapping my brain only to find out ten years later that I’ve slowly erased my ability to do math or remember where I put my keys.
However, the device is medically approved in the UK and Europe, and is gaining traction here. It is drug-free, which appeals to me.
Conclusion
I haven’t pulled the trigger yet. I am still in the research phase, reading Reddit threads and watching YouTube reviews.
I want to feel better. I want to have more energy and less fog. If wearing a funny helmet for 30 minutes while I write code or blog is the answer, I might be willing to try it.
It’s definitely an unreality right now, but it might become a reality in 2026.
