8 Stress Relievers that May Just Save Your Sanity
Before stress turns you into a headless chicken, turn to one of these relievers to save your sanity
Unless you’ve been living in complete isolation from the modern world, chances are you’ve heard about the dire consequences of excessive stress. Indeed, living with a faulty ‘fight-or-flight’ switch that never turns off is a surefire way to push your inflammation response into overdrive. In fact, some researchers and doctors are of the view that chronic stress is the ultimate culprit behind many of the degenerative diseases that are responsible for most deaths in our societies.
But the reality is, there’s no escaping from stress. It’s how we handle it that determines whether we let stress run our lives, or we have stress under our control. And if the idea of changing your diet, lifestyle and activity level is, well, too stressful to think about, here are some stress relievers to make the job less daunting.
StressEraser Portable Biofeedback Device
If you find yourself having difficulty to relax on your own, then a gadget like StressEraser Portable Biofeedback Device may be a lifesaver. This small device measures your heart rate variability in the form of a wave when you insert a finger into the sensor. If you are under stress, your wave will be spiky and jagged. Follow the onscreen cues to time your inhale and exhale, and make the wave long and smooth. The goal is to slow down your breathing and elicit your body’s natural relaxation response to reduce stress. StressEraser keeps track of how well you’re breathing by giving you points, and the manufacturer recommends that you aim for 100 points each day (equivalent to about 100 smooth breathing waves) to get the most out of the device.
Ecotones Duet Adaptive Sleep Sound Machine
If stress has been giving you sleepless nights, check out the Ecotones Duet Adaptive Sleep Sound Machine instead of reaching for the sleeping pills. This intelligent creation uses an Adaptive Sound Technology to create ‘sound stories’ that adapt to your room’s ambient noise, so that you can relax better and sleep sounder each night. Further, the natural sounds you hear, like ocean waves, rain and waterfall, do not appear as repetitive and irritating as those you hear from other sound machines. Ecotones Duet Adaptive Sleep Sound Machine also has a built-in timer that turns the machine off automatically at four different intervals, it comes with ten selectable Sound Stories, three richness settings to add additional characters, and also serves as an excellent white noise machine to mask annoying background din.
Who would have thought that magnets can be so much fun? But that’s exactly what Neocube is about. Made out of 216 ‘high-energy rare-earth’ magnets, Neocube can be shaped and molded into any patterns and shapes you can possibly think of (watch the video on Amazon to see some of the awesome shapes created). Think the shapes too small? Just combine multiple Neocubes together and see your creations grow right in front of you. No matter what shapes you make out of it, Neocube is bound to provide you with hours of distraction from your worries.
Ever wished for an invention that mimics a hug? My Beating Heart is what you’ve been waiting for. When you hug My Beating Heart, it almost feels like embracing a loved one or an animal friend as you can feel a pulsating heart beating against you. The amazing thing is that after embracing this cuddly cushion for a few minutes, your heart actually begins to sync with its rhythm, slowing down your heart rate and making you relaxed. Its internal gadgetry also ensures that each time you turn it on, a different rhythm is created and that the rhythm changes subtly over time, so as to model what a person would go through during deep meditation. To maximize your enjoyment, I suggest you spray some diluted essential oil water on it to give it a lovely, calming smell! My Beating Heart is a therapeutic cushion great for afternoon naps, bedtime as well as any moment when a bear hug is required!
Can’t see much stars under the bright city lights? Why not invite the stars right into your home? With Star Theater Pro, you can recreate the night sky by projecting a crystal-clear, rotating field of 10,000 stars on your wall or ceiling. Be mesmerized by the starry night sky and learn about the different stars, or just sit quietly under the multitude of stars and let the included planetarium soundtrack relaxes you and puts you to sleep. This gadget comes with thirty or sixty-minute control that turns the device off automatically.
HoMedics QRM-400 Quad Roller Massaging Cushion
Hoping for a pair of expert hands to soothe your aching back as you slave away at your desk at 8pm? Then, HoMedics QRM-400 Quad Roller Massaging Cushion may be what you need. Offering six different programs to give your back a good rub, this cushion will take some stress and pain off your back with four moving rollers. But make no mistake about it, this massage tool is no substitute for experienced masseurs. But unless you’ve the cash to hire one every day, this dependable body stress reliever will provide some much-needed relief at the comfort of your home and at a fraction of the cost.
Pandigital Pantouch 12″ Digital Picture Frame
A digital picture frame is not just for displaying static vacation pictures. It can also be used to play back guided meditation MP3s, relaxation videos and meditation music, not to mention those pictures of mandalas and religious icons you’ve collected. Use the Pantouch 12″ digital frame to complement your meditation practice, yoga training, guided visualization or any time when you need a time off. This frame also doubles up as a digital alarm clock and a calendar. It’s 12″ screen is also gorgeous to look at compared to smaller size frames.
Other noteworthy features: intuitive touch screen navigation, 4:3 aspect ratio (read: no distortion of your photos), 800 X 600 resolution, 2GB internal memory, remote control, plays JPEG, AVI and MP3 digital video and audio, Zen-looking wood frame, and supports CF, SD, xD, MS, MSPro, MMC, MicroSD and USB flash drives.
As one Amazon buyer had aptly put it: Nothing clarifies communications, shortens discussions, or moves managers along faster than a healthy doses of “That Was BS!” This fun toy will provide instant laughter and stress relief, at least for the first one week. But be warned that there will be people at work or home who are not going to like it!
