Have you ever had your blood pressure taken and the nurse is looking at the digital reader notating your BP? That’s a form of biofeedback. Any tool used to measure some aspect of your existence is considered biofeedback. The last few decades have proven key in the optimism of wellness biofeedback tools. For example, ever seen a Garmin watch or the old school MioWatches? They checked your pulse with 2 fingers. Great tool to educate students about pulse, heart rate (HR) and how we can improve our own health when we can measure it. A few years ago, I got to work with Active Duty Soldiers, Spouses and Retired Veterans of the US Army and US Air Force in a pilot wellness program called “Armed Forces Wellness Center.” The following blog will include some stories from my professional experiences, what science says about biofeedback and how we can use that information to help those with mental illness live spectacular lives. If you stay towards the end (mental health practitioners) you’ll read about a VIP Coaching offering I’m very proud about.
Key #1 Know what are some of the benefits of biofeedback devices (i.e. fitbit, apple watch etc) in regards to hope and mental health.
For those that lean towards the use of technology reminders and data tracking for positive behavior change, they are very useful. For those that tend to judge themselves by how many steps they take or don’t take from app reminders and notifications, the biofeedback tool might not be the best thing. The best way to find out is to see if there is a free app available with your smart phone and start with that first. Then progress to other wearable technologies if you’re feeling up to it.
Personally, I bought a Garmin Forerunner watch 8 or 9 years ago. I LOVE running and was at that point training for races a lot. I needed to track my miles because I get lost in the run and forget to track myself. When you have 13.1 miles you need to train for and don’t have sick time built up for your job, it’s important to backwards plan effectively so you don’t have to take a sick day for a preventable injury.
I LOVED my Garmin because I only needed to charge it once a month, it was water proof for my swim days, and was simple enough for me to figure out. If I used the GPS it did need to be charged more often but after a while, I only used the steps as a measuring tool instead of my mile speed. For me, I judged myself if I was having a slower run day and felt I didn’t need to be told by my watch that I was having a slow day 🥴. I stopped using the GPS option and focused on getting a number of steps in per day for a bit between races. When I’m seriously focused on training for a race, I get back into using the GPS. Do what works best for your mental health.
What are some of the benefits YOU have noticed with your biofeedback tools? I’d love for you to tweet us @MoveHappyTeam. We’ll retweet your info and give you writer’s credit.
Key #2 Know what are some signs and indicators that biofeedback would be beneficial to someone struggling with depression.
When I taught in the schools my first few years, we had a PEP Grant and got to use these cool Mio Watches (this was in 2009-10). It was nice to be able to discover Resting Heart Rate (RHR) and educate elementary students on the benefits of understanding what that meant, and how we can be in charge of our health. Many of my students were from low income families and single parents too. I would often close out a lesson with a meditative calming exercise and the students would be encouraged to check the MioWatch for their pulse (which is close to accurate of HR) and encourage them to get it back down to the start of class. Teachers loved it because I helped calm them back down for classroom studies and parents loved it too. I had plenty of thank you emails and phone calls from parents saying we appreciate you encouraging them to use technology to get them up and moving as opposed to playing video games after school.
What are some of your favorite bio feedback tools and why? We’d love for you to tag us on your Instagram Stories @TheRealMoveHappy. We’ll share your story to our audience and tag you in it.
Key #3 Know what are the global indicators that biofeedback is supportive of people with mental illness.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 1:4 people in the world struggle with mental illness and it is estimated struggle with depression of some form. Biofeedback is a tool to help people in a variety of medical/spiritual ways. This article by the Mental Health in Family Medicine shares when it’s most appropriate to utilize for certain conditions and diagnosis.
We’d love for you to share your thoughts, ideas and questions on LinkedIn and tag us @Move-Happy (gray and lavender logo) so we all can learn from one another. We’ll share your post to our audience as long as it’s positive, constructive and supportive in empowering people with mental illness through the use of biofeedback technologies.
Key #4 Know who should NOT use biofeedback devices and Who Should.
Pretty much anyone can try biofeedback training. If someone takes medications like beta blockers and also wants to lower heart rate that would be a case by case basis and need a discussion with your doctor. According to this article by Mayo Clinic, they break it down into a variety of ways biofeedback can be used to help people with a variety of conditions. Feel free to read the article here.
When I worked with the US Army and US Air Force, I was the exercise and psychology expert and provided biofeedback training using HeartMath technologies gaming and massage chair use. It was a great experience educating soldiers on resilience training (their language for meditation). We got to measure their game scores pre training, provide education the next session and see them for a follow up session. Those that were on beta blockers had to get a special note from their Dr. because their HR was already lowered and we didn’t want it to get too low to make them dizzy.
Who has used biofeedback devices and/or trained others? I’d love to hear your experiences on our Facebook page @TheRealMoveHappy. We’ll share your stories to our timeline and give you writer’s credit.
Move Happy®️ Updates:
The Move Happy Movement Podcast© is in full swing! Together we are bringing awareness to mental health, providing practical strategies to empower those with depressed states to move towards their own happiness and inspiring the joy of movement! Next Monday I’ll be releasing episode 56 with Dr. Ken Kaufman (if Zoom reaches back out with my deleted file 😩). He and I connected on LinkedIn. He is the Founder of Sports Med On Demand, the Team Doctor for the Baltimore Orioles, and Co-Founder and COO of Well Connected. The episode will be released Monday by 6p EST. We had a Zoom glitch and the file got deleted by accident. We’re waiting to hear back from Zoom on file retrieval (going on 3 weeks now 🥴, they must be busy!). I was 331 in line for tech support so hoping they return the email request soon! Make sure to give Dr. Kaufman a follow on LinkedIn (link above) and let him know you want to hear his story.
Follow the Move Happy Movement Podcast©️ wherever you listen (iTunes and Spotify) and Tweet us @MoveHappyTeam if you’d like it on a different platform. The last few weeks my computer has not been converting files which Spotify requires (#TechSupportNeeded). With that in mind, listen to current episodes on iTunes or straight from the distribution website here.
Once we have 10,000 listeners we’ll be offering a sweet giveaway! A private concert by me and my cool singer 🎶 friends! (Check my TikTok @TheRealMoveHappy for examples of my genre preference). You must be one of the monthly listeners to qualify and be active in commenting/liking/sharing/tweeting Move Happy®️ content on any and all social media platforms (and leaving iTunes reviews 😉😉😉). The more platforms you follow Move Happy®️, the easier it will be for us to remember your name when deciding on random giveaways 🙌. We’ll keep things updated from the distribution website below ⬇️⬇️⬇️
More Updates:
The World Health Organization estimates that $1 trillion dollars is lost annually due to lack of productivity from employees specifically diagnosed with depression and anxiety and not receiving adequate resources from their workplace. I designed a solution to help decrease this statistic. “Work Happy: The Practical Tools For Effective and Inclusive Workplaces©” is in beta.
Employees will benefit from this because the workshop is designed with you as the main focus in a positive manner. Employers will benefit from this because people that are cared for work harder and take less sick days, thus increasing your bottom line 💰. The workshop includes a follow up refresher (2 days total). Next 2 businesses/EAPs to sign up get prioritized scheduling. Email me “Work Happy Workshop Interest” here to set up your Work Happy Analysis©️.
If you need services from Move Happy®️that can be provided by my team, that will be first priority. If you absolutely need to chat with me personally, I only have time for 1 for VIP client. Specifically, you look like a mental health practitioner/employer wanting specialized training in resilience/positive psychology. If that be the case for you, pay my $7,500/mo retainer rate here and email me your time zone and 3 days/times that work best with your schedule: subject line “MOVE HAPPY VIP CLIENT SCHEDULE REQUEST” to prioritize your email to the top.
Move Happy®️ Has Partnered With The John W Brick Foundation and the Chopra Foundation for a Special Mental Health Online Summit May 22-24, 2020. This is a 100% free event for anyone struggling with depression or knows someone that is struggling. There are over 70 speakers that will be providing positive encouragement, inspiration as well as musical entertainment during the 3-day event. All you need is internet access and an email to register. To sign up for this free event, go here.
Key #5 Know how Move Happy®️ can help those who facilitate group therapy working specifically with those struggling with depression & could use some biofeedback?
I’m really excited to share a program I designed for my patients in one of the most sensitive populations in the world, a locked psychiatric hospital. We did not have a budget for equipment so I got creative. I wanted to be able to measure if my patients were happier and more fit so I designed questionnaires. When you order the program, you’ll get access to the questionnaires and can incorporate them into your curriculum as a way to measure improvement with or without digital devices.
If you’re wanting to incorporate biofeedback devices, think about charging access, frequency of charging and battery/device warranty. Depending on the goals of your group, perhaps using the questionnaires will be enough.
For the next 1 that signs up for our VIP Elite Leadership Course, we’ll be including a $50 Amazon gift card to use towards your own wearable biofeedback device or put it towards dope music your patients/clients will enjoy during the workout portion. Upon successful completion of the 6-week do on your own time online course, you’ll receive Move Happy Coaching Certification©️, have the option to receive continuing education credits, 1 year access to the course materials, and lifetime access to the Move Happy Community Facebook Group©️ (for as long as Facebook and our lawyers allow us to keep it up I😉).
Included in the VIP Elite Leadership Course©️ is:
💃 6-Weekly Live Group Coaching Sessions ($999 value)
💃Move Happy Facilitator Program©️ Curriculum ($999 value)
💃 6-Week Do At Your Own Pace Video and Worksheets to help empower you in the Move Happy®️ philosophies of Positive Psychology, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Transtheoretical Change Theory, Social Cognitive Therapy Infusions, 12 years of exercise training methodologies broken down into simple practical teaching tools, and more. ($999 value)
💃Coaching Certification (upon successful completion of course materials, passing final exam). ($297 value)
💃Continuing Education Credits (optional and additional fee varies depending on which organization you’re certified through). ($197 value)
💃 Move Happy®️Swag ($99 value).
For a limited time the VIP Elite Leadership Course©️ is only $1,997 or 6 easy payments of only $397. During the pre-launch prices will remain until way website support, Nick, get’s the Membership Portal up and running. His family is dealing with the corona virus and he’ll be back finalizing set up in the next week or two. After we fully launch, the Elite VIP Leadership Course will go to it’s regular price of $3,499.
To sign up for the VIP Elite Leadership Course waitlist, and save $1,502 email me subject line “VIP Elite Leadership Course Waitlist” to erin@themovehappy.com and pay $1,997 here: PayPal.me/MoveHappy
PS: 40 percent of proceeds after biz expenses goes towards mental health organizations of YOUR choice and YOUR local chapter of Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Make sure to include your mental health charity organization link as well as the name of your local Big Brothers and Big Sisters chapter in your email to me.
So there you have it folks. Biofeedback is a great tool that can be used to provide information on your health. Ultimately it is up to you how you will use the information. If you are struggling with negative self-talk and seeing your miles speed is not motivating but actually demotivates you from wanting to exercise more, you might need a break from technologies. However, if you are able to calm the negative voices down and focus on the practical application that biofeedback can provide, go for it. The best way to utilize technologies for your health are first to ask yourself what is the simplest way to add it without any huge behavior changes throwing off my day? It needs to be streamlined and a simple addition if you want it to become a part of your lifestyle. Secondly, make sure the cost is within your budget. You can pay $10k for a platinum Apple Watch but is that really going to improve your resting heart rate when your spouse finds out you spent 3-month mortgage on a watch? Be smart about your investments. Thirdly, recognize that technologies aren’t perfect, they are a great starting point to your health. Ultimately, you’re in charge of your health and overall if you are incorporating a little bit of positive habits everyday, overtime they’ll collect to an exponential amount of improvements. Lastly, if you’re a group therapist and you’re looking for new curricula and new certifications, email me (erin@themovehappy.com) to be put on the waitlist and pay the $1,997 or ($397 6-month payment plan) to: PayPal.me/MoveHappy to reserve your spot in the first round of coaching. Since 40 percent goes back to mental health organizations of your choice and your local chapter of Big Brothers and Big Sisters for the youth in your community, you’re donating a little less than half of the cost of the course to make a positive impact on mental health resources in any community of YOUR choosing.
If you found any value in my blog today, I’d be honored if you’d share it with a friend or family member today.
PS: Don’t forget to tell someone you love them today
Recent Comments