BLOW OFF SOME STEAM: The Steampunk Stress Machine?

[Balogun Ojetade]

BLOW OFF SOME STEAM:  Stress Relief for Today’s Steampunk!

I recently saw a photo of an item for sale onwww.etsy.com called the Steampunk Stress Reduction Machine. This prompted me to do more research on Steampunk and stress and I found this brief article in the American Libraries archives:

Part-time staffers at Mount Vernon (WA.) City Library­­ (from left) Charlene Patten, Alisa Kester, Bonnie Hood, Mike Bonacci, and Sara Bangs celebrate “Steampunk Friday” by wearing attire based on the science fiction genre April 23. According to library Director Brian Soneda, the dress-up day was designed to help staff members cope with the stress of a rough economy.

I became highly intrigued and started thinking about how I deal with stress; how I teach my children and students to deal with it; and how tens of thousands of people use Steampunk daily, in various ways, to deal with stress.

What is Stress?

Stress is the non-specific response of the body to any demand placed on it. In layman’s terms, stress is anything that causes a change in your body.  These changes are triggered by different feelings such as sadness, fear, anger and happiness. Every time your feelings change your body changes and this results in stress.

Stress can create feelings of conflict and/or anxiety within you. It can stem from demands you place on yourself or from external stimuli. If stress is not identified and resolved, it can progressively deteriorate your ability to function physically, mentally and emotionally.

Everyone has stress, regardless of age, sex or race. 

All stress is not bad, nor does all stress have a negative effect on us.  Some stress we experience is good and has a positive and motivating effect. 

We have problems when we experience too much, or too little, stress in our lives. 

Too much stress causes us to feel tense and pressured; this creates conflict.  Too little stress makes us feel bored, unmotivated and lethargic, which also creates conflict within us and sometimes with others. 

Therefore, it is important to maintain a proper level of stress in your life. 

Signs of Stress

The body gives you signals to let you know that you are experiencing stress.

Some signs of stress are headaches, dizziness, fast heartbeat, abnormal eating habits, troubled breathing, inability to slow down or relax, depression, ulcers, high-blood pressure, phobias, and disturbed sleep patterns.

TO READ THIS BLOG IN ITS ENTIRETY, PLEASE VISIT: http://chroniclesofharriet.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/blow-off-some-s...