• en  
    • en-eu 
    • en-gb 
    • en-au 
    • en-us 
    • de 
Cart
Pip
  • en  
    • en-eu 
    • en-gb 
    • en-au 
    • en-us 
    • de 
Cart
  • Home
  • Partnerships
    • Reseller Partnership
    • Research Partnership
    • Professional Partnership
  • Wellness Programmes
    • Corporate Wellness
    • School Wellness
  • FAQ & Support
    • Device FAQ
    • Payment FAQ
    • Delivery FAQ
    • My Pip FAQ
  • Store
  • Setup
  • Home
  • Partnerships
    • Reseller Partnership
    • Research Partnership
    • Professional Partnership
  • Wellness Programmes
    • Corporate Wellness
    • School Wellness
  • FAQ & Support
    • Device FAQ
    • Payment FAQ
    • Delivery FAQ
    • My Pip FAQ
  • Store
  • Setup
June Blog 2 - Why it's important to get out into the sun

What is biofeedback and how does it help with Stress Management?

by The Pipon 15 February 2017in PipCorporate, PipLife

Biofeedback does exactly what it says on the tin. It gives feedback on the biological or physical signals of our bodies. Our bodies give off signals all of the time, some of which we can see and some of which we can’t. When stressed, for example, your heart beats faster, your mouth becomes dry and your palms become sweaty. These are the signals that you can see or feel. There are also other bodily signals that occur when we are tense or stressed that are hidden: your blood pressure rises, your body releases chemicals such as cortisol and adrenaline and the electrical conductivity of your skin increases. This latter signal is also known as skin conductance or electrodermal activity (EDA). This is the signal that the Pip measures because it is sensitive to even minute changes in stress or tension.

 

The main function of biofeedback is not the measuring element but the feedback element. Biofeedback essentially opens a window into the hidden signals of your body that allow you to recognise when you are stressed or tense and when you are relaxed. Although most of us would notice if our hearts were pounding wildly and our palms were sweating profusely before a meeting we may be less likely to pay attention to stress when it is hidden, when we are sitting on a bus fretting over work and forgetting to breathe, for example. In these situations it can not only be difficult to recognise stress but to know how to relax. Biofeedback tools let you test out different ways of relaxing and get immediate feedback on whether they really do calm both your body and your mind. This knowledge is a powerful tool to have at your disposal when stress levels start to creep up too high.

 

As the saying goes, knowledge is power. The advantage of tools such as the Pip is that the more knowledge they give you on your body and the more you practice using them, the better you are likely to become at self-soothing and calming yourself. At the start, apps such as Clarity provide guided audio that leads you through relaxation techniques. As you get more proficient at using the Pip you will find out which technique suits you best, or develop your own personal techniques. This means that you can transfer your skills to the other unguided apps and, ultimately, to real world situations. We all get stressed and, as we’ve shown before, not all stress is bad (link to blog here). The challenge is knowing when and how to let stress work to your advantage and when and how to relax again, take a break and recharge the batteries for the next challenge ahead.

Share this article
0
0
0
The Pip

Written by The Pip

www.thepip.com/company

previous article

Have you fallen foul of confirmation bias? How your biases influence perception.

next article

Emotional Intelligence, how it affects the decisions you make

Must-Reads

  • How to Reduce Back to School Stress

    How to Reduce Back to School Stress

    Posted 21 Aug 2017
    By The Pip
  • Pension? What pension? Vividness of Your Future Self and Saving for Retirement

    Pension? What pension? Vividness of Your Future Self and Saving for Retirement

    Posted 3 Aug 2017
    By The Pip
  • A Gentle Nudge towards Healthier Eating in the Workplace

    A Gentle Nudge towards Healthier Eating in the Workplace

    Posted 21 Jul 2017
    By The Pip
  • The Importance of Focussed Day Dreaming

    The Importance of Focussed Day Dreaming

    Posted 14 Jul 2017
    By The Pip
  • What do you want from life?

    What do you want from life?

    Posted 4 Jul 2017
    By The Pip
  • PipHub Update – Great new features!

    PipHub Update – Great new features!

    Posted 3 Jul 2017
    By The Pip

Twitter Feed

Tweets by @thepip_official

Recent Posts

  • How to Reduce Back to School Stress
  • Pension? What pension? Vividness of Your Future Self and Saving for Retirement
  • A Gentle Nudge towards Healthier Eating in the Workplace
  • The Importance of Focussed Day Dreaming
  • What do you want from life?

About PIP & Support

  • FAQ & Support
  • Events
  • Research Partnership
  • Reseller Partnership
  • Professional Partnership
  • About Us
  • Media
  • 4 Steps to Mindfulness
  • Contact Us

Connect with PIP

Email hello@thepip.com
Twitter Facebook Google+ Instagram Pinterest

Join our mailing list

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Disclaimer

PIP should form part of a stress management programme and is not designed to replace professional medical or psychological advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or mitigate any disease.

© Copyright 2014 - PIP. All Right Reserved.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy