Stress Reduction Lab Opens at HSC

January 26, 2010

The USC Center for Work and Family Life recently launched a stress reduction lab on the Health Sciences campus, featuring resources to help participants improve their mental and physical well-being.

The centerpiece of the lab is a biofeedback program called emWave, a program that measures heart rate data through a finger or ear clip sensor plugged into a computer.

Counselors at the center teach a simple technique that combines focus, breathing and the recall of positive emotional states to make heart rhythm patterns smoother and more coherent. According to Jason Sackett of the USC School of Social Work, repeated use of this technique in concert with emWave will "help reduce stress, improve concentration and even your mood."

EmWave translates the information from a user's heart rhythms into colorful graphics displayed on a computer monitor, allowing users to watch, in real time, the effect of their thoughts and emotions on their heart rhythms.

Sackett explained that focusing on maintaining a consistent breathing pattern and visualizing positive emotions helps establish high coherence: that is, regularity in the user's heart rate, which in turn leads to a reduction in stress hormones over time.

Initial training sessions last 30 minutes; subsequent sessions can be self-monitored and last from five to 15 minutes, depending on user preferences.

The lab, located in Rm. 233B of the Center for Health Professions, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

For more information, contact the Center for Work and Family Life at (213) 821-0800.

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