Today, many people tend to believe that technology is culprit behind all the stress in our lives—be it mobile phones or laptops or 24×7 TV. But we don’t believe in that—technology is just a tool and used properly it can actually lower the stress levels in our lives. Let’s see how technology in really simple ways can bust the stress and fatigue in our lives:
- Music: In 2006, Stanford University researchers said that “listening to music seems to be able to change brain functioning to the same extent as medication.” The scholars observed that music is something that almost anybody can access and makes it an easy stress reduction tool. Studies also found that listening to music on headphones reduces stress in hospital patients before and after surgery and can relieve depression in the elderly. Music therapy boosts quality of life among cancer patients. While fast tempo music can help one focus better, upbeat music can help make a person feel positive about life. Similarly, slow, quiet classical music can alter physiological functions such as slowing the pulse and heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing levels of stress hormones. All these benefits can be availed through technology, which has made music an integral part of our lives—be it through mobile phones, iPods, transistors or radios, or TV and cinema or the Internet. All genres of music have become accessible with the spread of the Internet and platforms such as Youtube, including specialized music that induces relaxation or sleep. Companies, such as Brain Sync, provide technologies that harness the influence of music to relax your mind and trick it into going into a relaxed mode. Such apps are easily available and can be downloaded on phones.
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- Social networking: Constant connectivity can sometimes make one feel disconnected and lost. But the connectivity offered by modern technology can combat that feeling. Social networking platforms such as Facebook, twitter, etc. can help one connect with friends and family, relieving stress. A Pew Research Centre study found that social media plays a critical role in connecting teens to new friends, allowing teens to learn more about new friends and getting to know them better. According to the study, nearly two thirds (64%) of teens who have made a new friend online say they have met new friends on a social media platform. The study also says that social media makes teens more sensitive towards their relationships. Although in-person interaction is irreplaceable, purposeful connectivity can improve quality of life and relationships. Scientific research has proved that strong social networks can be a stress-buster, and that technology can play a crucial role in building and maintaining those relationships.
- Massaging Devices: Beth Braun, President of the American Massage Therapy Association, says massage therapy can be an effective form of treatment for anxiety. There are many massage devices available in the market, which can be used to distress. Companies can introduce massage therapy for their employees and make the work place enjoyable and fun. Devices emitting warm heat and providing massage to the neck muscles can aid the entire body in relaxing.
- Office productivity tools: Calendars and task list applications can assist employees in organizing their work life and de-stress. The applications reduce work stress by helping employees manage their time better. Calendar reminders and alerts can help one keep track of important dates. Sometimes, really simple things such as emails and messages can help avoid lengthy meetings and face-to-face sessions, thus improving productivity. On the same lines, notepads can help you keep track of things without having to commit everything to memory.
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- Apps: There are several Apps also which help you relieve your stress, notable among them are the following: Deep Sleep With Andrew Johnson, Meditation Studio, Talkspace (interact with a therapist online), Happify (tracks to keep you relaxed and happy), and Relationup (for 24×7 relationship advice from pre-screened counsellors), among a host of others vying for your attention.
“Technology these days can be innovatively used in ways to fight stress and mental fatigue. But, at the end of the day, it is all about smashing those negative thoughts”, said, Brajesh Sachan, Chief Technology Officer, Deskera, a Cloud-based Analytics company.
Technology has irreversibly transformed and molded our lives for the better—in fact to such an extent that we have become oblivious to it. It’s high time that we started reaping the rewards of the tech world.
(Disclaimer: This is a guest post submitted on Techstory by the mentioned authors.All the contents and images in the article have been provided to Techstory by the authors of the article. Techstory is not responsible or liable for any content in this article.)
About The Author:
With more than 10 years of experience in the field of journalism, Muqbil Ahmar is a Senior Editor at Deskera, the leading business software company in the Asia-Pacific region. Armed with an M.Phil in Science Policy Studies, he looks at technology from the prism of society.
He believes technology has to add meaning to the lives of people for whom it was created in the first place. He wants to bring about better understanding between the two worlds so that they do not act against each other but in mutually beneficial ways so that the world becomes a better place to live in and to leave for future generations.