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Arrest your stress: five inexpensive biofeedback devices to monitor your body
tension, reduce stress and increase energy - Energy
Men`s Fitness , June, 2003 by Matt Fitzgerald
Your breathing is shallow, your heart rate elevated. Your upper back and neck
muscles are tighter than Joan Rivers` forehead. What`s going on?
You`re stressed, that`s what. Perhaps you`re stuck in traffic or you`re anxious
about an upcoming business meeting. Whatever the case, your body has decided that
it`s under threat and is preparing itself to "fight or flee."
This physiological response to stress--which holds sway today--evolved thousands
of years ago, when threats tended to be more extreme than mere traffic jams (think
saber-tooth mandibles), but also occurred with less frequency. The strain of reacting
to stressors several times each day, which our bodies are not designed to do, exacts
a considerable toll on us (see "The Price of Stress," page 64).
One effective way to reduce stress is to try to manage the physiological aspects
of the stress response--a practice known as biofeedback.
"Biofeedback is simply a process in which you receive information about your
biological state, and then use this information to alter that state--specifically,
to induce relaxation," says Celeste DeBease, Ph.D., who practices biofeedback in
the Philadelphia area. "Over time, you can train your sympathetic nervous system
to be less reactive to stressors and to recover from them quicker."
For as little as 13 cents on up to $79, you can own a biofeedback device and
learn to eliminate stress and anxiety.
DO-IT-YOURSELF BIOFEEDBACK
You don`t have to visit an expert to benefit from biofeedback. You can try simple
techniques using relatively inexpensive devices, or no devices at all.
Choose one technique (maybe two) and practice it daily for 15 or 20 minutes.
Your daily stress levels should fall almost immediately. However, according to psychologist
L. John Mason, Ph.D., a biofeedback expert, it may take several weeks before you
gain noticeable control over the physical parameter you are monitoring--so stick
with it.
Mirror Meditation
Stress effect: Muscle tension, especially in the shoulders, neck and head.
Monitor: Sit comfortably in front of a mirror. Study your reflection for signs
of tension, such as a creased brow, a clenched jaw, or even an anxious look in the
eyes.
Relax: Make a conscious effort to relax your facial muscles and the rest of your
body as much as possible. Work from top to bottom.
Your goal: Simply to observe how relaxation affects your reflection.
Temperature Training
Stress effect: Reduced hand and foot temperature due to constriction of the arteries
and the shunting of blood flow away from the extremities.
Monitor: Using a simple thermometer such as a Stressdot (100 dots will run you
$12.95 at www.stressdot.com), you can monitor your hand temperature and train yourself
to elevate it. In a warm room, place a Stressdot on your hand and wait one minute
until it settles on a color. Use the color chart to determine your hand temperature.
Relax: Sit quietly in a comfortable position, relax your breathing and let your
muscles slacken. Push negative thoughts out of your head, concentrating instead
on "thinking" warm hands. Merely focusing on warmth has been shown to raise temperature.
Your goal: To raise your hand temperature above 92 degrees (violet). On your
first few attempts, you can cheat a bit by placing your hands under sunlight or
near a heat source.
Galvanic Skin Response
Stress effect: Increased surface-skin moisture, which in turn increases the amount
of electricity that passes through your skin.
Monitor: Using the same technology as a lie-detector machine, a galvanic skin-response
device like the GSR2 ($60 through www.toolsforwellness.com, www.therapistthings.com/thoughttechnology.html,
and other Web sites) can measure these changes in electricity and help you learn
to relax. Place your index and middle fingers on the device and wait for a tone--the
higher the tone, the greater your stress level.
Relax: Sit quietly in a comfortable position, taking deep breaths in through
the nose while exhaling through the mouth. Consciously relax your muscles from head
to toe. Expel negative thoughts, concentrating instead on lowering the tone.
Your goal: A lower tone. Initially you may actually raise the tone--that`s your
stress response in action, but according to Mason, this is a sign that you are gaining
some control, but not enough just yet. Keep practicing and you`ll get it right.
Heart-Rate MonitOring
Stress effect: Increased heart rate.
Monitor: You can measure and try to lower your heart rate with a heart-rate monitor
or by simply taking a pulse against your jugular vein or wrist. Sitting quietly
and comfortably, observe your initial pulse rate.
Relax: Slow your breathing and relax your muscles. Push negative thoughts out,
concentrating instead on "thinking" your heart rate lower. Try playing relaxing
music--No Doubt or Ja Rule is not the music we`re talking about.
Your goal: A reduced pulse rate. Check it every few minutes. As with the GSR2
unit, you may notice no change or even an increase at first, but eventually you
will learn to relax and lower your pulse.