Let’s face it, stress is something we all deal with. While some of us are better than others at mitigating stress levels, it’s a part of all our lives. There are many different ways we can manage our stress, including simple strategies like exercise and meditating. As people’s stress levels climb, many turn to medications to treat the symptoms. However, there are alternative options that can help. An exciting new way to manage your stress is to use a muscle activity monitor.
What is a Muscle Activity Monitor and How Does it Work?
You are probably wondering what a muscle activity monitor is and how it functions. These handy portable devices are compact units that gather data from sensitive electrodes. They send information about the activity level of a specific muscle in the body. By measuring this level of activity, you can start to get a sense of which muscles are the most tense in your body. The device automatically syncs to your smartphone or tablet and you can use the app to see how your muscle activity changes over time.
How Can a Muscle Activity Monitor Help Understand Stress?
Using a muscle activity monitor offers you a unique way to monitor your stress level during certain tasks. For example, you may want to monitor your stress level while you work or complete a task. By placing the monitor on your forehead, neck or shoulder muscles, you will get a clear picture of how your muscles react to certain stimuli. Are they more tense during certain activities, tasks or parts of your daily routine? If so you have identified a trigger for muscle tension, an indicator of stress.
How Can a Muscle Activity Monitor Help Manage Stress?
The next question you are probably asking is how can a muscle activity monitor help you manage your stress? It’s really pretty simple. You can use your monitor to start getting an idea of the triggers that cause you higher rates of muscle activity and therefore stress. The more you understand your patterns the more you can begin to control those stress triggers and their effect on your body.
Imagine that you wear your muscle activity monitor for two hours of your workday. Let’s say you start to notice a trend where your muscle activity peaks when you have a phone conference with a certain client. This gives you insight into what might be peaking your muscle tension, an indicator of stress. You can now use a range of relaxation techniques before, during and/or after that call each week. Perhaps before you go on the call you do a few minutes of breathing exercises or meditation. For each identified stress trigger, you can apply a range of strategies to keep stress at bay.
By understanding what is causing higher levels of muscle activity by using a muscle monitor, you can start to lower your tension and stress. While it may take a little time to fully understand what triggers your stress, it is achievable. Understanding your triggers is the first step towards getting control of your stress. A muscle activity monitor is a great way to understand how stress is affecting your body, and learning how to mitigate the unwanted effects of excess muscle tension.
Leave a Reply