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Reducing
Stress in the Workplace
with
Musical Massage
by
Dawn Ferguson, M.S.N.
DreamWeaver Facilitator Trainer
©1998
Dawn Ferguson, M.S.N. contact
Thirty
five managers and support staff received 15 minute musical massage stress
relief sessions in the DreamWeaver, a vibroacoustic sound environment,
on site in a large public organization in the Washington, D.C. area. The
sessions were part of the organizations way of acknowledging its' employees
and supporting
employee wellness.
The DreamWeaver is a 3D audio environment in the shape of a dodecahedron with a vibroacoustic sound mat about the size of a massage table inserted into its' base. Sound is delivered directly to the body, gently massaging soft tissue and producing deep resonance down to the cellular level. The employee lies on the sound bed and is bathed with sound from above and below. The music vibrates the body with musical notes and rhythms. The vibrotactile response of the body to the combination of sound and sacred geometry is extraordinarily powerful as you experience yourself become the wave physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
Employees met with me for 15 minutes. After a brief stress and lifestyle assessment, they were encouraged to create an intention for the session (i.e., to relax, to reduce stress in my life, to feel more connected to my heart, to feel more energized, to have greater mental clarity etc.). The employee was then asked to hold this intention while in the DreamWeaver and imagine the sound waves of the music carrying the intention to all the cells in his/her body. They then listened to 5 - 10 minutes of music in the DreamWeaver. Aromatherapy, polarity therapy and verbal dialogue were incorporated in the experience as indicated and determined by the facilitator. The session concluded with again assessing the employee's self report of stress and other variables. The response was overwhelmingly positive.
Before and after assessments of stress, emotional pain, physical pain, self-empowerment, self worth, and life manageability indicated significant reduction of stress and an increase of overall sense of self and well being. Following are charted data of employee responses in each of the areas assessed. Same people in each graph.
Red bar represents before session and blue
bar represents after session.
Thirty one of the 35 employees experienced significant stress reduction after 15 minutes. One employee reported no change, one employee reported no stress before and after the session, and two reported feeling more stressed. Mean before rating was 5.7 and mean after rating was 8.8
Twelve employees rated themselves 10 no pain before and after the session. Of the 23 employees reporting any emotional pain before the session, 22 reported significant reduction of emotional pain after the session. One reported increased emotional pain. Mean before rating was 7.9 and mean after rating was 9.6
Seventeen employees rated themselves 10 no pain before and after their session. Eighteen employees reported experiencing physical pain before the session. Of these, 17 employees showed significant lessening of their physical pain at the end of the session and 1 employee's ratings stayed the same. Physical ailments reported by the 18 employees reporting physical pain included gum pain, back pain, arm and shoulder pain, elbow pain, neck pain, knee pain, hormonal tension, and sciatica. Mean before rating was 7.7 and mean after rating was 9.3
Eleven employees reported feeling 10 great about themselves before and after the session. Of the 24 employees who reported feeling less than great about themselves before the session, 9 rated themselves at 10 great at the end of the session and 13 reported significant improvement in self worth while 2 stayed the same on their self report ratings. Mean before rating was 7.8 and mean after rating was 9.4
Fourteen employees rated their lives 10 manageable before and after the session. Of the 21 employees who rated their lives less than 10 manageable before the session, 15 reported feeling their lives were more manageable after the session, 4 reported the same rating and 2 reported feeling their lives were slightly less manageable (1 point less). Mean before rating was 8.3 and mean after rating was 8.9
Eleven employees rated themselves 10 empowered before and after the session.Of the 24 employees who rated themselves less than 100% on self empowerment before session, 7 reported feeling fully empowered at the end, 16 reported significant increase in their sense of self empowerment and 1 person felt less empowered. Mean rating before was 8.1 and mean rating after was 8.9
In reviewing the ratings that got worse after the session:
1 employee's emotional pain rating
1 employee's empowerment rating
2 employees' life manageability ratings
One employee reported 2 points more stressed and 7 points less empowered after the session while also reporting 3 points improvement in physical pain and 5 points improvement in emotional pain bringing her to a 10 no pain. It was clear that as her pain diminished her stress increased and her sense of self empowerment decreased. It is likely that the relaxation experience brought underlying psychological and life issues to the surface as her pain defenses were no longer there. We discussed her situation and a referral and recommendations were offered.
Another employee reported feeling 1 point more stressed after the session than before. This person acknowledged emotional issues coming up during the session which resulted in slightly more stress. Again specifics were discussed with the employee and a referral made per the employee's request.
A third employee reported 1 point more emotional pain at the end of the session than before, while also reporting a 4 point reduction in stress, a 4 point reduction of physical pain, a 3 point improvement in self worth and a 1 point improvement in self empowerment. In this case, the relaxation state evoked repressed emotions. As they surfaced and were expressed and acknowledged the employee reported general improvement albeit slightly more emotional.
A fourth employee reported a 3 point decrease in life manageability while reporting a 3 point reduction of stress, a 2 point improvement in self worth, a 2 point reduction of emotional pain and a 1 point improvement in self-empowerment. As this individual relaxed, the reality of life's challenges came forward particularly uncertainty about the future re: employment.
The fifth person rated self the same or one point lower on life manageability after the session from the before rating. Statistically, if two ratings were given, the lower reading was recorded. However, given this person's improved ratings in all other areas, I would suspect the difference before and after on this rating is insignificant.
Conclusion:
It was evident that in the short run, 15 minute musical massage stress
relief sessions given to employees by their company was overwhelmingly
effective in relieving immediate stress, physical and emotional pain and
in enhancing employees' views of themselves and their ability to manage
their lives.
Further, employee comments suggested the event contributed to enhancing
employee attitudes towards their employer. It would be interesting to
have the opportunity to monitor ongoing effectiveness of stress management
and work productivity by offering sessions on a weekly basis or by having
a musical massage environment on site at a company available to employees
to utilize as needed similar to a gym.
It was with great joy and satisfaction that I participated in these events. I congratulate the innovativeness of the employer in recognizing the value of stress relief sessions in the workplace for employee well being and satisfaction.
For confidentiality
reasons, the company's name is not being disclosed.
Dawn L. Ferguson,
M.S.N. is a certified psychiatric clinical nurse specialist, certified
massage and polarity practitioner and stress management consultant who
has 25 years of professional experience. Since l985 she has provided Employee
Assistance Program and stress management and wellness services to employees
and work organizations. Formerly from Maryland, she now resides in Hawaii.
Personal
and Planetary Transformation
with Sound and Sacred Geometry
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e a m
W e a
v i n
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© 1996-2007 B
e n e d i c k H o w a r d
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