Recently, we’ve been investigating the merits of Alpha-Stim, which are portable medical devices designed to reduce stress, anxiety, insomnia, depression and more. Although primarily designed as a medical device, it dawned on us that it would also be an ideal tool for businesspeople. Below, we explain why.
Alpha-Stim products are rapidly gaining attention in the UK in all areas, including the mental health charity MIND and some parts of the NHS. Although the widely peer-reviewed devices are only available by prescription in the USA, UK consumers have a distinct advantage: they can purchase it directly from the official distributor, The Microcurrent Site, without the permission of a medical professional.
Uncertain Times for Businesses
More and more commentators worldwide are using the words “uncertain times”, which nowadays seems particularly applicable to the business world, with Fiat currencies under pressure, inflationary pressure, and the impact of political and military conflicts.
Although the advent of media on demand is likely to make things feel the worst they’ve ever been, many of these problems have always been present.
I recall the days (20+ years ago) when I would be sat alone in a plush office at one of my companies after my staff had left for the day, ‘stressed up to my eyeballs’, anxious and dreading what the next day would bring, something I am sure many other businesspeople have and will currently be experiencing.
In those days, there was little to help, and decades later, I still think to myself, “If only I knew what I do now.”
Nowadays, meditation is my primary drug-free go-to. It is something I find hugely enjoyable and, I believe, very beneficial, as it helps to clear my mind, removes anxiety and stress, and probably makes me more creative. However, getting the full benefits from meditation requires time and a good deal of practice, something many businesspeople are likely not to have at their disposal.
So what is the solution? It’s called Alpha-Stim, a small device you can carry in a pocket that will put your mind in a much better place whenever needed.
How it Works
The Apha-Stim devices use cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES), a safe microcurrent that Conformité Européenne and the US Federal Drug Administration have approved.
It is a straightforward device to use: two clips on each earlobe are attached, which direct the microcurrent into the body. All you need to do is manually set the treatment time and intensity of the microcurrent.
Many conditions, such as anxiety and stress, are caused by an electrical imbalance in the brain, and the Alpha-Stim helps the brain’s electrochemical functions by sending a microcurrent up the body’s Vagus Nerve. I like to look upon this as a mind reset.
How Effective is Alpha-Stim?
I always find that positive changes are immediately noticeable following a session with the device, and I am able to focus on what needs doing without any mind-wandering born from stress and anxiety. To explain better how my mind feels when using an Alpha-Stim, it is not too dissimilar from the feeling I get following a deep thirty-minute Zen-type meditation.
My positive experience with the device is not isolated. A clinical trial reported that an average of 61% of those taking part felt less anxiety immediately after using the CES therapy. After five weeks, that number had increased to 94%.[1]
In addition, feedback in a paper published in scrip.org (Scientific Research Publishing) from medical professionals who trialled the device was excellent: “I would love to continue to offer it to patients because I have seen that it can help reduce anxiety.” “It should become a known structured procedure.” And, “Rather than prescribing the usual medications for anxiety, the GP could prescribe the Alpha-Stim.”
The paper concluded that the implementation and use of the Alpha-Stim AIDs were found to reduce symptoms of anxiety, improve health status, and be feasible and acceptable to staff and patients. An important point to note is the authors of the paper had no conflicts of interest to declare.
As mentioned earlier, Alpha-Stim can only be prescribed by a medical professional in the US; however, Brits and those in some other countries have an enormous advantage of being able to purchase one today. I use the word today as there is always the possibility that the UK and others will follow the USA’s lead.
When you consider what the impact of anxiety and stress can be on a business’s bottom line and the cost of professional in-person treatments from a psychologist or counsellor, an Alpha-Stim device is a far more cost-effective, tried-and-tested alternative.
The advantages the Alpha-Stim devices will bring to businesspeople are vast. If you suffer from nerves before giving a pitch or presentation, using one will help. If you are like I was, someone who stresses and frets about the business, letting it impact your personal life, again, you should be using one; the patented microcurrents produced by the devices will bring an almost instant calm feeling.
I should add that there is another significant benefit of using an Alpha-Stim, which is the device can be worn around the neck via a lanyard, allowing users to continue with ‘light work’ during treatment.
Using an Alpha-Stim is like having a cheat code in a computer game but in ‘real life’. It is a discrete and safe way to put your mind on a ‘level playing field’ without the use of prescription drugs and does not negatively impact cognitive functions.
A skill many probably wish they didn’t have is the ability to almost instantly generate anxious feelings, making their heart beat faster. After a few days of using the Alpha-Stim, I am confident that this will become significantly more difficult. If you want a good head for business, I say, “Get an Alpha-Stim today.”
References:
[1] Barclay TH, Barclay RD. A clinical Trial of cranial electrotherapy stimulation for anxiety and comorbid depression. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2014;164:171-177. Presented at the American Psychological Association National Conference, Honolulu, July 2013.