The Stress Eraser
Learning to get rid of unwanted stress has never been so easy!
By, Megan Farhat
As a student at Michigan State University, I know all too well the terrible feeling of anxiety and stress. With papers and exams popping up nearly every week, I sometimes feel like my brain stops functioning properly. The worst thing that I experience from time to time is anxiety attacks. I cannot stand the way my chest and heart feel; like a rock that is pressing against me and making it hard to breathe. Sounds awful, right?
Recently, I had the opportunity to try a new product called the Stress Eraser. Invented by Michael Wood, the Stress Eraser was his ingenious idea after having months of intense stress. It’s a rectangular little gadget that measures your heart and breathing rates and then it shows you how to regulate your breathing pattern. Before you begin, practice breathing slowly as this will help you during the actual exercise. There is a sensor on the top where you place your left index finger and you must wait about five seconds for it to adjust to your pulse. After that a small screen will begin producing wave patterns that tell you when to inhale and exhale. You are close to attaining relaxation when your breath waves begin to look wide, smooth and regular on your screen. There is also a point system that helps you keep track of how well you are doing. This device is designed to help the user learn how to activate their body’s natural relaxation response.
After reading the directions, it’s pretty simple to use and definitely does help to settle your nerves. It is most common, and for some people probably the most useful, to use the Stress Eraser as a sleeping aid. When your breathing becomes slower, more even paced and easy, the body will naturally begin to relax and go into sleep mode. For others, it is a successful tool to bring with you to work, on business trips and even vacations.
There is a ‘Relaxing Nights Program’ built into the Stress Eraser that promotes stress-free living. Wood suggests that if you want the fastest possible results then you should complete this particular program every night before you go to sleep. It is split up into three different steps and works to create the perfect environment by “switching off” your mind and preparing your body for deep relaxation.
Although it delivered the exact results that it’s name suggests, I don’t think that purchasing one is necessary. When I recognize the feelings that coincide with my stress and anxiety attacks, I have found my own way of slowing down my breathing just by practicing. All you really need to focus on is taking long, deep breaths in a slow, easy pattern until your inhales and exhales become even and natural. If you still aren’t sure what you are doing, it would be helpful to look up tips on breathing and stress release techniques on the Internet. There are plenty of good Web sites that can teach you how to do it yourself, without the extra cost!
Overall, the Stress Eraser is an innovative idea.
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