It's another one of those days-you are dealing with overworked staff members, flared tempers, missed deadlines, high acuity-but despite all that stress, you are managing, albeit on autopilot. From time to time you become body aware, feeling your heartbeat in your ears, noticing the tenseness of your muscles. You were a little shaky and near tears during your last encounter with a difficult staff member. On the drive home, you mentally review the day and end up running a red light. Luckily, you caused but the honking horns jolt you out of autopilot and you wonder, "What am I doing to myself? I need to step back and relax." You promise yourself you will, in 2 weeks take a long weekend with friends. In the meantime, the unrelenting stress will take its toll on you unless you find ways to decrease in the midst of the madness.
Imagine this: The day is just as difficult, posing one challenge after another, and you think you are numb to it. You may have numbed your mind, but not your body. Almost immediately after an upsetting encounter with a difficult staff member, you retreat to your office. Using a sensor connected to your computer, you check your heart rate. The software creates a graph, and while studying this visual feedback you realize your heart rate is unusually high. You close your eyes, begin to breathe deeply and slowly from the diaphragm, and consciously relax your muscles. After a minute, you open your eyes and your heart rate begins to decline. As you watch the feedback on the screen, you continue to breathe deeply and consciously bring your heart rate back to normal. You are feeling much calmer and clearer. You emerge from your office with your body in a much better state.
Biofeedback is one of the oldest and most tested holistic interventions. You can use it to promote relaxation by lowering your heart rate or by increasing your skin temperature through the galvanic skin response process. The simplest form of biofeedback is the scale in your bathroom, which offers numerical feedback on your weight so that you can apply weight control strategies. On the Internet, you can purchase simple and relatively inexpensive biofeedback devices for your computer. These programs may use finger heart rate monitors or galvanic skin temperature devices with game-like software that helps you destress at critical moments.
Holistic philosophies and modalities of care are usually low-tech, high-touch interventions designed to complement or serve as alternatives to high-tech, reductionistic interventions like drugs and procedures. However, modern information technology provides interesting, quick, and easy tools to assist us in recognizing and managing daily stressors.
Given the proliferation of computers, cell phones, and other technological devices, it seems only right that we join the power of technology with the work of self-care. The information the computer can offer about the body's response to stress is startling. It is also remarkable that the computer can assist us in modulating the body response, with a bit of focus. Periodic destressing through the course of a difficult day is not only healthy, but it is a high-tech, self-care habit.