1. 28 H Wednesday18november2009evening standard
Health Beauty
Stress buster: more
enlightened employers
are offering counselling
and “resilience training”
high-tech ways to
there is now a whole range of gadgets
that can help you relax while you work.
We put the best stress-busters to the test
alpha-stim Proper breathing — in for four,
how it works: You attach hold for seven, out for eight —
clips containing electrodes can lower blood pressure, aid
to each earlobe. An digestion and stop
electric current flows panic attacks.
into the clips from a relax factor: A bit like a
battery-powered pack. nagging parent
The current should help constantly reminding you
“normalise” the brain’s to tidy your room. If you’re
‘PeoPle can literally electrical activity. The
gadget has a button you
busy it can easily become an
annoyance. But I did feel
become Paralysed’
press to control the strength instantly calmer when I paid
of the electric current. attention and took time to focus on
any science? It reduces anxiety and breathing out.
depression by sending microcurrents Cost/contact: £14.99/www.feelkarma.
Continued from Page 27 One over-stressed client found himself through the brain. This electrical com or www.breathminder.com
unable to leave his plane seat. “People activity helps change brain patterns victoria stewart
Nightingale Hospital near Harley Street literally become paralysed,” says and triggers relaxation “waves”.
specialises in cases of work burn-out. Shanahan. relax factor: The strength of the stress squares and
Director Dr William Shanahan says self- The drive to succeed, explains current goes from 0 to 5. So I settled thermometer
medication is rife. In the public sector, Shanahan, draws people to the capital upon 2 after 3 made me feel sickeningly how it works: Two types of stress
wine and cigarettes are the drug of choice. but can be their undoing. “I often counsel dizzy. I didn’t enjoy the feeling in my thermometers to test your anxiety
Among City high-fliers, it’s cocaine. people to go back to their old job where earlobes (which was like a constant itch). rating. One is a traditional mercury-in-
Employers exploit the temporary drive they were happier,” he says. But within moments, I felt a pleasant, a-glass type. Pinch the end of the
the drug gives you, he says, with There has been a shift in attitude among dopey feeling, similar to nicotine or a thermometer. The temperature will
disastrous consequences. some employers. At least 13, including mild sleeping pill. My session lasted for indicate your stress level. Ninety-one
“You get City types who are up all night Royal Mail and Astra Zeneca, operate staff one hour and I’d try it again just for the degrees is “relaxed” but 79 degrees is
on cocaine. It makes them faster on the wellbeing schemes. These Employment soothing feeling of heaviness. The data “tense”. The other is a black square of
trading floor,” he says. “But eventually Assistance Programmes (EAPs) offer suggests you get the best results after plastic that changes colour depending
the results are catastrophic because counselling and resilience training. using for several weeks. on your temperature. Green is “calm”
people just burn out. Their body says ‘you Occupational psychologist and EAP Cost/contact: £269/www. and black is “tense”.
can’t get away with this’ and just shuts manager Andrew Kinder says stress has themicrocurrentsite.co.uk/01487 any science? The colder your fingers
down. In this climate, employers react replaced trips and falls as a workplace 831495 the more stressed you are. We’ve been
by giving people more work to do. But if hazard. “Stress audits are a wake-up call daisy dumas primed from prehistoric times to react
for managers to take action. I see three to fearful situations. Our bodies send
types of cases: anxiety disorder, that the Breathminder blood from our extremities down into
‘You get City types who are up results in panic attacks, workers who are how it works: This is a small 2cm-wide the essential organs — heart, major
all night on cocaine. But the very angry about their treatment, and
people who feel suicidal. London can be
box which reminds you to breathe
deeply by vibrating twice every 15
muscles, brain. This is vital for extra
speed when pursued by sabre-toothed
results can be catastrophic quite a lonely place. If you feel your minutes. It clips onto your clothing tigers.
because people just burn out’ relationships are breaking down and and continues every quarter of an relax factor: I was a nervous wreck
there is pressure at work then you can hour until you switch it off. from starting work at 5.30am to
you put thousands into training then you reach the tipping point. The key is to learn any science? Taking deep “in-breaths” finishing 11 hours later. Or that was the
should want people to be fit to deliver for to build up your resilience to pressure is a tried and tested technique to calm
you. It’s not good enough sending them with a workshop.” you. But too much oxygen can make
home for a fortnight to watch Jeremy Kyle. It has to be better than resorting to you agitated. Prolonging your out-
I t m e a n s p ro p e r i nve s t m e n t i n mobile phone hurling or Sellotape. breaths helps you conserve carbon
treatment.” ■ www.eapa.org.uk dioxide and rebalance your system.