Brainwave entrainment is a method to stimulate the brain into entering a specific state by using a pulsing sound, light, or electromagnetic field. The pulses elicit the brain’s ‘frequency following’ response, encouraging the brainwaves to align to the frequency of a given beat.
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You can quickly reduce stress without waiting for a weekend, vacation, or massage. You’ll feel empowered when you take action to meet your needs, and that automatically elevates your happiness at work. A few of the easy strategies described below require planning ahead so you have materials on hand. However, each tip will only take you a few minutes to implement once you’re set up. Less stress results in greater creativity, higher productivity, and fewer conflicts with “difficult people.” If you’re a manager, tell your employees about these stress reduction techniques because they accelerate employee engagement.

GET IN THE GROOVE

A finger labyrinth can center your mind, calm anger and anxiety, stimulate creativity, and shift your perspective regarding a tough challenge. The power of a labyrinth is simple. It integrates physical movement with a challenge to your left brain. You stop perseverating about a stressful situation and allow creative solutions to emerge.

I discovered the power of a full-scale labyrinth at a progressive hospital that encouraged patients and their loved ones to explore a beautifully landscaped “puzzle” area (the labyrinth). Day after day, I watched distraught clients and their families enjoy their lives more even if their situations had not visibly improved.

On the job, use your nondominant hand to “walk” through a finger labyrinth because you stimulate different neural networks when you do this. This will provide easier access to your intuition. If you don’t already have a finger labyrinth in your desk, pocket, or purse, you can discover how to buy or create one by searching “labyrinth” on the World Wide Web.

ORCHESTRATE YOUR MIND

Certain types of music have been associated with relaxation because music can stimulate specific brain states. Companies such as Sound Health, The Relaxation Company, Inner Peace, New Earth, and Phillips, and composers such as Morry Zelcovitch offer outstanding collections of brain-entrainment music that induce specific levels of consciousness.

The strategy of using music to entrain your brain state is so successful that employees in many offices I work with cooperatively select the recordings they play as background music. We usually test the results, just as I have tested the effects of all of the “More Joy on the Job Strategies” I recommend to my clients.

Since the results are positive and measurable, I’m suggesting this strategy to you. You can also create your own private brainwave symphony by using an iPod or a portable CD player and headphones.

FOLLOW YOUR NOSE

Unique aromas produce distinct physiological effects and mood states. Essential oils and flower essences can dramatically affect your feelings because your olfactory sense is directly connected to the limbic area of your brain (the seat of your emotions).

Employees frequently use essential oils to elevate concentration and arouse feelings such as peace and joy. Some Japanese companies diffuse lemon and peppermint essential oils to increase productivity.

I’ve introduced sandalwood and nutmeg to organizations I’ve consulted with because they can decrease stress. A blend of rosemary and lemon improves focus. Other oils, such as ylang ylang and bergamot, stimulate the production of the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin. Lavender triggers alpha and theta brain waves. Chamomile, rose, and orange blossom are calming. Jasmine is said to imbue confidence in dealing with difficult problems, which can elevate your self-esteem.

Once you experience the benefits of aromatherapy, you’ll probably keep vials in your car and home as well as at work. When purchasing essential oils or flower essences, keep in mind that the quality of the product will determine its effectiveness.

BONUS: FAST STRESS REDUCTION TIP

Rub a drop of peppermint or lavender essential oil into your wrists when you feel anxious. Breathe deep belly breaths while you enjoy the delicious smell. The lovely fragrance can refresh many parts of your body at once because the arteries in your wrists are close to the surface. Therefore, the benefits of the cooling, calming oils are quickly distributed throughout your body. This tip also works great behind your ear lobes because your ear lobes are saturated with reflexology points related to the physiology of stress.

A side benefit of using essential oils is that you smell good. This can trigger a subtle boost in charisma, customer satisfaction, and the subliminal perception that you’re a natural leader (a.k.a. “promotion material”).

Don’t have essential oils on hand? Substitute cold water for the oils, but make a note to buy essential oils because the side benefits are at least as much fun as the stress reduction.
Brainwave entrainment is a method to stimulate the brain into entering a specific state by using a pulsing sound, light, or electromagnetic field. The pulses elicit the brain’s ‘frequency following’ response, encouraging the brainwaves to align to the frequency of a given beat.

This ‘frequency following’ response of brainwave entrainment can be seen in action with those prone to epilepsy. If a strobe flashes at their seizure frequency, the brain will ‘entrain’ to the flashing light, resulting in a seizure.

On the positive side, this same mechanism is commonly used to induce many brainwave states; such as a trance, enhanced focus, relaxation, meditation or sleep induction. The brainwave entrainment effectively pushes the entire brain into a certain state.

Brainwave entrainment works for almost everyone. It is a great way to lead your mind into states that you might usually have difficulty reaching, allowing you to experience what those states feel like.

THE HYPE
There is a lot of marketing hype around brainwave entrainment. It is sold with promises of increasing IQ, promoting weight loss, ‘mind-tripping’, enhancing creativity, concentration, inducing spiritual states and more.

While these claims are not entirely true, they are not altogether false either. In practice, the claims are based on an overly-simplistic view of how the brain and the brainwaves function.
THE RUB
People are very seldom deficient in a certain brainwave type in all areas of their brain. Usually the distribution is much spottier, with an excess in one area and a deficiency in another.

We are all different, especially when it comes to the distribution of our brainwaves. Boosting a certain brainwave state may be beneficial for one person, and emotionally uncomfortable for another. Without knowing each person’s starting position, entrainment can be rather ‘hit and miss’.

If brainwave entrainment leaves you with unwanted side-effects (see below) or discomfort, you’re probably encouraging a range of brainwaves that are already excessive in some area of your brain. The way around this is to get a brain map to see what your brain’s strengths and weaknesses are, and see what (if any) brainwaves could use some encouragement.