The Pavlok Wristband is a novel solution to an age old problem – how do you break bad habits and encourage good ones, without relying entirely on willpower? The Pavlok Wristband answers this with a two-fold approach – first, use electric stimuli to train your brain to associate bad behaviors with negative feedback, and second, use positive reinforcement (e.g. rewards) to encourage adapting good behaviors to replace the bad ones. The name for the wristband comes from the learning procedure which the aforementioned approach is using – Pavlovian conditioning (aka classical conditioning).

Doubles as an effective alarm clock!

For super deep sleepers that have trouble waking up in the morning… boy do I have a treat for you. This alone pretty much makes this device worth buying – you can use the zap/beep/vibrate feature as your alarm clock in the morning! You can even enable a mode so that you will continue to get periodic zaps until you physically get out of bed!

How does the Pavlok Wristband work?

The main function of a Pavlok wearable is to deliver a high-voltage but low-amperage (i.e. safe) shock to your body when you engage in a “bad behavior”. The wristband pairs with your phone to streamline this process – you can use the app to manually tell the wristband when you are engaging in a bad behavior, use a preset automatic behavior tracker, or setup your own advanced behavior monitoring system.

In addition to the electric shock, the Pavlok can also vibrate and beep to remind you about a behavior.

Pricey! Why can’t I just use a rubber band or slap myself?

Dude. Seriously? The Pavlok is a tool. This kind of question gets asked about almost any tool, which ignores the purpose of a tool – to make things easier. Yes, you can technically accomplish the same thing with a rubber band, or a slap, or a pin prick, but that requires you to be A) self-aware of when you perform your bad habit, B) to have enough willpower to willfully deliver pain to yourself and C) to keep a pain implementation device on you at all times. To me, this question is the same as asking “Why do I need a fork, I can just use my hands”, or “Why do I need a hammer when I have this rock”.

The Pavlok also has automatic tracking of hand movement that can shock on certain preset behaviors, like holding up a cigarette.

Furthermore, the real power of the Pavlok comes into play for its advanced users. Through the advanced integrations, you can set up the device to talk to a service like IFTTT, which will enable you to set up crazy advanced flows. For example, you could have the Pavlok shock you when you take longer than 20 minutes to respond to an email. If you combine internet connected devices with IFTTT and Pavlok, you could probably even do something like shock you when you leave the house without turning off lights!

Another benefit – Mindfulness:

A large part of breaking a bad habit is just becoming more aware of how often you do it and what triggers it. Often, people are unaware of just how often they engage in a bad behavior, and if confronted about it, will greatly underestimate the frequency. The Pavlok wristband, through its automatic and manual behavior tracking, encourages mindfulness of your bad behaviors and you will quickly become more cognizant of when you are about to or are actively engaging in a hurtful behavior.

Pavlok Wristband Features:

• Multiple ways to track and trigger on behaviors
  • Manual – tap the wristband or the button on the app
  • Automatic – built-in hand detection can identify nail biting, hair pulling, cigarette smoking
  • Alarm clock – wake up with a jolt! You can even have the Pavlok zap you periodically until you physically get out of your bed and upright!
  • Advanced – The Pavlok wristband integrates with IFTTT to enable you to trigger off advanced flows
• Safe
  • CE/FCC certified
  • The “zap” is high voltage, but low amperage – similar to a static electricity shock like when you touch a doorknob after shuffling across the carpet.
• Compatible with both Android and iOS
• Power efficient
  • 2-5 day battery life
  • Recharges with standard micro-usb cable (also included)
• Affordable
  • At $180-200, the Pavlok is really not that pricey when you consider what breaking a bad habit should be worth.

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Is the Pavlok safe?

Yes. The electrical charge delivered, although high voltage, is extremely low in amperage (current) making it safe and very similar to a static electricity shock. It has also passed CE/FCC certification.

Additional ways to buy:

You can buy the Pavlok from Amazon, or directly from their website here.

It is also worth noting that you can order the “Shock Clock” version, which only functions as an alarm clock, and then upgrade it to the “Pavlok” version at any time for an additional fee.