In 2019, Executive Health Management (Melbourne) and The Mind Peak Performance Institute studied the effects of the SS+ Mental Health and Wellbeing technology on depression, anxiety and stress. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Survey (DASS *) was used with 42 executives for 3 sessions per week over 12 weeks.

The results are below:

*About the DASS

The DASS-21 (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) is a short-form of the DASS in which each of the three subscales contain seven (rather than 14) items. The DASS-21 has high reliability, has a factor structure that is consistent with the allocation of the items to subscales, and exhibits high convergent validity with other measures of anxiety and depression (Henry & Crawford, 2005). The Depression scale includes items that measure symptoms typically associated with dysphoric mood (e.g., sadness or worthlessness). The Anxiety scale, includes items that are primarily related to symptoms of physical arousal, panic attacks, and fear (e.g., trembling or faintness). Finally, the Stress scale includes items that measure symptoms such as tension, irritability, and a tendency to overreact to stressful events.

Video conferencing (Zooming) is ‘tiring us out’ and for many leading to ‘fatigue’ and potential ‘burnout’.

Recent research has found 4 key components contributing to this fatigue.

1. When video conferencing we have excessive close-up eye contact which is highly intense. Everyone is looking at you even if you are not speaking and leaves us in a hyper arousal state which is energy draining. 
2. Seeing ourselves in real time. When we constantly see ourselves on screen it is as if we are looking in a mirror with a reflection of ourselves. Humans are critical of themselves and with the constant reflection can be taxing on the brain and cause cognitive stress. 
3. Constant video conferencing can lead to very little physical movement which is required for better cognitive function, 
4. Video conferencing creates a much higher cognitive load. We have to work much harder in video chats to send and receive signals between each other. This cognitive load decreases the mental energy required for communication.

The research shows that during long stretches of video meetings we need to give ourselves an ‘audio only break. We need to completely shut down the brains visual cortex( shut your eyes) and just listen(use your ears). 

New technologies such as Sound Science Plus(SS+) quickly and efficiently shift the brain from a stimulated state to a relaxed one using specially formulated sounds only, 

In as little as 10 minutes the brains energy flow is adjusted from a negative cognitive load to a positive one and you are ready for the next meeting. 

For further information, contact us.

Functional MRI (left) showing activation in the amygdala when participants were watching images with emotional content before learning meditation. After eight weeks of training in mindful attention meditation (right) note the amygdala is less activated after the meditation training.

Courtesy of Gaelle Desbordes

Mindfulness is linked to changes both in the brain and the body’s production of hormones and other chemicals that impact our physical health.

Scientists postulate that the development of mindfulness leads to non-judgemental and non-reactive acceptance of experience which is associated with positive psychological and physical outcomes.

HOW DOES MINDFULNESS CHANGE THE BRAIN?

There is significant research documenting changes in the brain associated with the practice of mindfulness.

Brain imaging studies have found eight brain regions which are consistently altered in meditators, including areas important for:

• Self awareness of thoughts and emotions (frontopolar cortex / BA 10)
• Body awareness (sensory cortices and insula)
• Memory (hippocampus)
• Self and emotion regulation (anterior and mid cingulate; orbitofrontal cortex)
• Communication between parts of the brain (superior longitudinal fasciculus; corpus callosum)

CONSISTENCY OF IMAGING STUDIES WITH OTHER RESEARCH

The mindfulness brain imaging studies are consistent with research that tracks participants’ perceptions of how they have changed, as well as research that looks at their behaviours or physiological measures, such as stress hormones and brain wave activity.

In addition, mindfulness is associated with changes in connections between regions in the brain. Specifically, the connections between the fear-responsive amygdala and the rest of the brain weaken, while those between the emotionally- regulating prefrontal cortex and the rest of the brain strengthened. In all, these changes suggest mindfulness lessens reactive and fearful responses and enhances thoughtful appraisal of events.

HOW DOES MINDFULNESS CHANGE THE BODY?

Mindfulness can induce the relaxation response. This response engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for restoring the body to base levels (homeostasis) after a stress response, calming it down by lowering the heart and respiratory rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension.

Mindfulness is also associated with a reduction in other physical symptoms of stress, such as markers like C-reactive proteins, interleukin6 and cortisol.

This reduction is highly desirable, because physical symptoms of persistent stress are associated with an increased risk of serious diseases such as high blood pressure, heart irregularities, insomnia, persistent fatigue, digestive disorders, mental health issues, diminished fertility, and diabetes.

Meditation, mindfulness, breath training, yoga and exercise are all established and successful methods to deal with stress, anxiety, depression and peak performance. However, for many of us the motivation to practice them, maintain the momentum or even just start is at best poor.

SSPlus has been developed as an aid to these techniques.

SSPlus technology has low barriers to use as it is quickly accessible, easy to use and enables users to choose the mental state they wish to focus on. The technology uses sound to quickly alter brain waves to achieve desired performance states around relaxation, stimulation, resilience and even sleep.

The link between sound and behavior (relaxation/sleep, stimulation and resilience) comes from the development of ‘binaural beats’ technology and its ability to alter our brainwaves into desired patterns just as traditional techniques such as mindfulness do. This technology helps us turn our brain down to relax/sleep better when we need to, turn our brain up to stimulate and even invigorate or bounce back more quickly when we need to be resilient, particularly in difficult times . All of these are very important to our overall wellbeing but increasingly difficult to achieve in our fast paced, time poor and stressful digital world.
SSPlus provides a fascinating and exciting technology that harnesses the brain’s responsiveness to sound to move the brain and you into those states we desire most.

How does SSPlus achieve this?

SSPlus uses it’s own unique binaural beat algorithm. This algorithm combines two slightly different sound frequencies to create the perception of a single new frequency tone.

The individual experiences two different frequencies at the same time, one in each ear, the brain actually perceives a single tone that is the difference between the two separate frequencies. Your brain, in a sense, “tunes” to this new frequency.

You listen to binaural beats using ear plugs or headphones plugged into your phone, computer or any device with internet connection. In each ear, you receive sound at a slightly different frequency (often accompanied by some relaxing background sounds). For example, if your left ear receives a 300-hertz tone and your right ear receives a 280-hertz tone, your brain will process and absorb a 10-hertz tone. That’s a very low-frequency soundwave—one you can’t actually hear. But you don’t need to hear the sound for your brain to be affected by it.

Why is exposure to these soundwaves helpful to relaxation, stimulation and resilience? Science shows that exposure to binaural beats can create changes in the brain’s degree of arousal. For example, listening to those sounds that create a low-frequency tone, research indicates, triggers a slow-down to brainwave activity—and that may help you relax, lower your anxiety, and even make it easier for you to fall asleep and sleep more soundly.

How do brain waves work with SSPlus?

To understand how binaural beats help relaxation, mood, mental performance, and sleep, we need to know a little bit about brain waves and what they indicate about our state of consciousness, emotion, and mental activity. Brainwaves are created from the pulses of electrical activity our neurons exhibit as they communicate with each other. Our thoughts, feelings, and actions are all expressed through this constant neural communication—so our brainwaves are associated with how we feel and what we can do at any given moment.

Let’s look at four major types of brainwaves affected by SSPlus:
Beta. These brainwaves are associated with high levels of alertness and arousal. When beta brainwave patterns dominate, we’re primed to focus and concentrate, to make decisions and think analytically. When you’re analyzing an issue at work, you’re probably in a beta-dominant state. Beta waves are fast, with a higher frequency (between 15-40 hertz). At the higher levels of this range, beta waves are associated with anxiety.

Alpha. Alpha brainwave patterns are associated with a state of wakeful relaxation. Slower and lower in frequency (between 9-14 hertz), alpha waves are dominant when we’re calm and relaxed, but still alert. Alpha waves are associated with states of meditation —mindfulness, meditation and yoga help us achieve an alpha state— it is also good for creativity.

Theta. This brainwave pattern is associated with deep relaxation and with some stages of sleep, including the lighter stages of non-REM (NREM) sleep. REM sleep itself is mostly composed of beta wave and other activity that’s similar to an alert, waking brain. Deep meditation produces theta waves, which are slower and of lower frequency (between 5-8 hertz) than Alpha waves. That murky barrier between sleep and wakefulness, when you’re drifting in and out of sleep, and your thoughts feel dreamlike and difficult to remember? That’s a theta-dominant state of consciousness.

Delta. Is a slow-wave, delta sleep. Delta waves are slow, low-frequency brainwaves (between 1.5-4 hertz) that are the dominant brainwave pattern of deep (stage 3 and 4), NREM sleep.

The faster (and higher frequency) the brainwave pattern, the greater your state of arousal. The slower and lower frequency brainwaves are, the deeper your state of relaxation—or sleep.

Research scientists have observed that exposure to sound waves can affect brainwave patterns. In a process called entrainment “tuning the brain”, when exposed to sound waves at certain frequencies, brainwave
patterns adjust to align with those frequencies.

Binaural beats work by exposing the brain to beats that create low or high frequency tones in the brain, these sound waves create shifts in brainwaves themselves, generating slower or faster frequency brainwaves that promote deeper states of relaxation to stimulated states for concentration and energy.

Can SSPlus improve sleep?

Sleep is critical to the brain and our wellbeing and yet performs particularly badly for many of us. Brainwave activity during sleep is largely distinct from brain activity when you’re awake. (REM sleep is an exception: During REM,
your brain is active in ways very much like when you’re awake.) During non-REM sleep, the slower, lower frequency theta and delta waves dominate, compared to the alpha and beta waves that are prominent when you’re alert and active.

SSPlus can be used to slow brainwave activity, helping to produce lowfrequency waves, to aid relaxation and sleep. But it’s not only lowering brainwave frequency that binaural beats may offer to sleep and relaxation. A small study (19 people) has found that exposure to binaural beats is associated with changes to three hormones important to sleep and wellbeing:
• DHEA. DHEA functions as a kind of master hormone, helping to produce other hormones in the body on an as-needed basis. DHEA is critical to immune function and disease protection. Particularly significant for sleep is that DHEA works to suppress cortisol, a hormone that stimulates alertness and provokes stress at elevated levels. The study found that 68 percent of participants had increases to DHEA after using binaural beats.
• Cortisol. Cortisol is an arousal hormone, stimulating alertness and attention. Cortisol levels rise and fall in connection to circadian rhythms—cortisol levels rise to their peak levels first thing in the morning, just in time for you to be active for the day. Too-high cortisol levels are associated with insomnia, as well as more time spent in light sleep, rather than deep sleep. The study found that 70 percent of participants experienced a reduction in cortisol after exposure to
binaural beats.
• Melatonin. Melatonin promotes and regulates sleep. Melatonin levels rise dramatically in the evening, and the hormone works to relax your body and mind, preparing you to fall asleep. The study found 73 percent of participants had higher levels of melatonin after using binaural beats. The average increase was more than 97 percent.

How does SSPlus increase relaxation and reduce anxiety?

A growing body of research suggests that binaural beats can reduce different forms of anxiety, from mild to chronic. Studies that looked at the effects of binaural beats on anxiety among patients preparing to undergo surgery—a life circumstance that is pretty anxiety provoking for most anyone have recently been completed. Over a period of six months, patients spent 30 minutes on the day of their surgery listening to binaural beats. Compared to patients who listened to a soundtrack that did not include binaural beats—and patients who received no “beats” therapy at all—the binaural beat listeners experienced significantly greater reductions in anxiety levels.

Another study looked at whether binaural beats helped anxiety in patients preparing for cataract surgery, and found that binaural beats led to reduced anxiety levels and lower blood pressure levels before surgery.

SSPlus is high impact and non-invasive. It doesn’t rely on chemical drugs and, for most people, is easier to adopt and maintain. In this way, it significantly compliments other behavioral therapies such as mindfulness, meditation and relaxation techniques, and other mind-body therapies including CBT. SSPlus mental health and wellbeing technology can also create an easy short cut to a meditative state which is often elusive to many people.

What about if I feel flat, unmotivated or distracted?

When we feel this way our brain waves are moving slowly(4 -8Hz) and need to move to a higher cycle time through stimulation. These SSPlus programs invigorate and stimulate the brain so we no longer feel sluggish, unmotivated, flat and even depressed. The resilience program alternates between both slow (Alpha) and fast (Beta) brainwaves to create neural flexibility so that we can concentrate and focus which are important elements of resilience.

SSPlus performance results reporting:

SSPlus is unique in that it can provide confidential( organization level) reporting of mental health and wellbeing back to the client organization if required. Monthly reports of usage, areas (relaxation, stimulation and resilience) that are being chosen for improvement and percentage improvement as a result of the use of the technology is included.

©Dr Stan Rodski, Peak Performance Neuroscientist.

©Dr Stanley Rodski, Neuroscientist

Participation in this multisensory stress-management program significantly reduced stress, improved heart-rate variability, decreased blood pressure in office workers and improved work performance.
Work stress elevation was seen to increase cardiovascular risk either indirectly, by inducing unhealthy life styles, or directly, by adversely affecting the autonomic nervous system and arterial pressure.

We hypothesized that before any apparent sign of disease, work-related stress is already accompanied by alterations of RR [relative risk], variability profile and that the Multi-sensory Stress Management Program based on cognitive restructuring could reduce the level of stress symptoms, [reverse] stress-related autonomic nervous system dysregulation, lower arterial pressure and improve job performance.

The study compared 91 white-collar workers in a stressful situation because of work downsizing, with 79 healthy control subjects. Psychological profiles were evaluated with questionnaires, and autonomic nervous system dysregulation was assessed using HRV(Heart rate variation) analysis of RR variability. A multi-sensory stress management program consisting of cognitive restructuring was provided to a subgroup of workers; a sham program was given to another subgroup.

The multi-sensory stress management program required the test group to participate every day for 30 days. Participation required 12 minutes at any time of the day. In the 12 minutes participants would:
• Listen to alpha sound waves(soundscience) on headphones connected to their phone.
• While listening they would colour-in using brain based designs and
• Drink and smell a cup of tea ( peppermint).

Compared with control subjects, workers had a higher level of stress-related symptoms and an altered variability profile (low-frequency component of RR variability, 65.2 ± 2 vs 55.3 ± 2 normalized units; P < .001; opposite changes were observed for the high-frequency component).

Participation in the Multi-sensory Stress Management Program was associated with a reversal in these changes (low-frequency component of RR variability from 63.6 ± 3.9 to 49.3 ± 3 normalized units; P < .001) and with a slight decrease in systolic arterial pressure. No changes were observed in the group participating in the sham program.

This stress study indicated that work stress is associated with undesirable symptoms and with an altered autonomic profile and suggests that the multisensory stress management program could be implemented at worksites, and indeed anywhere with possible preventive advantages for hypertension(stress) development.

Study limitations included potential self-selection bias; autonomic assessment limited to HRV analysis of RR variability.

Stress is a fundamental experience of modern work, and several models have been used to provide a formal description of their relationship in an attempt to design organisation-wide programs of intervention capable of minimizing the impact of stress on organizational, economic, and health outcomes.

The present investigation provides a potential model for the improvement of work-related stress at an individual level; in addition, it suggests that the Multi-sensory stress management Program can be implemented at worksites and home, with a capacity to reduce the stress symptoms level, revert stress-related [autonomic nervous system] dysregulation, and lower resting arterial pressure. The practical long-term impact of this approach on symptoms, well being, and health of interested workers will require specific longitudinal studies on large populations which are being initiated.

Clinical Context
Psychosocial factors, including job stress, have a profound effect on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and may predispose to acute myocardial infarction. The mechanisms linking job stress to cardiovascular risk are complex and probably related to the autonomic nervous system. Noninvasive techniques, such as a spectral analysis of electrocardiogram RR variability profile for the low- and high-frequency components are measures of autonomic nervous system dysregulation that can be used to assess the impact of job stress and psychological measures. Heart rate variation(HRV) analysis was used and found to have high efficacy in the measurement of both parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. Particularly in terms of their relationship to hypertension and stress.

The research represents an open study of 170 subjects, consisting of a stressed group of workers (n = 91) and unstressed controls (n = 79), to examine the association between autonomic nervous system measures and job stress and the impact of the Multi-sensory Stress Management Program during 1 month on job-stress measures. Stressed workers were divided into 2 groups: the test group underwent the daily Multi-sensory stress management program at work; the other (control group) received passive materials.

Study Highlights

• Stressed workers comprised 91 workers (mean age, 40 years; body mass index [BMI], 23.6 kg/m2; 59 men; 32 women) of an Australian company undergoing a 10% layoff.
• Controls comprised 79 healthy volunteers outside the company who did not complain of any stress (mean age, 38 years; BMI, 23.2 kg/m2; 53 men; 27 women).
• Excluded were those with psychiatric illness.
• Stress evaluation was conducted by a psychologist and participants completed the Subjective Stress-Related Somatic Symptom Questionnaire (4S-Q) to self-rate overall stress, tiredness perception, and stress-related symptoms.
• The 4S-Q, with 18 somatic symptoms, has a score from 0 (no stress) to 180 (most stress).
• Autonomic nervous system evaluation was conducted after 10 minutes of rest, and subjects were instructed to avoid caffeine and alcohol for 12 hours and to refrain from heavy physical activity within 24 hours.
• Workers were studied in an office at the worksite and HRV analysis was performed in the recumbent and standing positions.
• RR variability and blood pressure were measured.
• After the measurements, the stressed group was subdivided into 2 groups.
• Test group (n = 26; age 43.5 years; BMI, 22.7 kg/m2; 8 men) chose to participate in the Multi-sensory Stress Management Program for 1 month.
• The Multi-sensory Stress Management Program required participation every day for 30 days. The stress program required 12 minutes participation at any time of the day. In the 12 minutes participants would listen to alpha sound waves(soundscience app) on headphones connected to their phone. While listening they would colour-in using brain based designs ( Rodski brain science colouring book) and have a cup of tea ( peppermint).
• The other group (n = 25; mean age, 42.7 years; BMI, 23.7 kg/m2; 18 men) chose to participate in a sham program, consisting of weekly emails and articles about stress.
• Measures of stress were repeated at the end of 1 month.
• Primary outcomes were stress measures by self-report (4S-Q score) and autonomic nervous system measures of stress (RR variability and blood pressure).
• The stressed group reported both work and personal stress, whereas the control unstressed group reported no significant sources of stress.
• Workers showed significantly higher perception of stress and tiredness than controls (5.2 vs 2.9 and 5.3 vs 3.3 for stress and tiredness, respectively; P < .001).
• RR interval, HRV variability, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were similar in the 2 groups.
• The low-frequency component of the RR interval was higher in stressed workers, whereas the high-frequency component was lower (P < .001 for both).
• Stress-perception scores correlated significantly with low-frequency normalized unit, high-frequency normalized unit, and low frequency/high frequency at rest.
• After 1 month, those who participated in the Multi-sensory Stress Management Program showed a significantly lower perception of
stress (6.65 before vs 5.14 after) and tiredness (6.05 before vs 5.14 after).
• The sham-program group showed the same scores before and after the passive program.
• The Multi-sensory Stress Management Program induced a small reduction in systolic arterial blood pressure and normalized the low-frequency and high-frequency components of the RR variability.
• Thus, there was a significant overall effect of stress on autonomic parameters, which was reversed with the multi-sensor stress management program treatment.
• After 1 month, all participants (including control group) were reviewed in terms of work performance. Significant improvements were found with the stressed (test) group achieving a work performance improvement of 18% (P< .001).

Summary
• Job-related stress is associated with an elevated level of subjective symptoms and altered autonomic profile.
• The Multi-sensor stress management program is associated with reduction in subjective stress symptoms and normalization of the autonomic profile in stressed office workers.
• Reduction in subjective stress symptoms lead to improved work performance.

How are you coping at home? If like most of us, you find it a challenge- now is the time to do something about it.

‘Chilling out’ builds our resilience but first we need to make sure we have the ENERGY to cope with everything that is going on and the energy to do the things we need to.

Complete the FREE energy management test and immediately receive back your results and tip sheet for improvement: Click here

Now let’s look at RESILIENCE. For our brain to build resilience it needs to ‘chill out’. It does this by shifting from its stimulation mode( called a Beta wave) to a relaxing mode( called alpha wave)and back again. To help the brain do this we need to activate all 5 of our senses (sight, sound, touch, taste and smell) into the relaxation mode.

Being in Beta wave(stimulation) for too long or at too high a level causes us to feel anxious and stressed. We need a break from this over stimulation and by using all 5 senses together for at least 10, 20 or 30 minutes each day increases our capability to do this and maintain our mental wellness .

We have created the brain ‘chill out zone’  for everyone; adults and children. You can set up at the kitchen table( see picture), the study, bedroom or anywhere really. The key is to engage all of our senses during one activity for a period of time, and afterwards return to what we were doing.

By doing this we can maintain and even improve our mental health. We just need to relax the brain in the 5 key centres associated with the brain relaxation responses. Combining all 5 sense(see picture) has an exponential impact on us.

The soundwave technology called SoundScience™ and the brain based colouring-in books by Dr Rodski are available at link.

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