Audio stress management tools

 

soothing sounds provide solace

This month we are working through a variety of strategies  to help build your resilience to stress, and to manage your workplace stress levels. Your sense of sound is a powerful one; and with some thoughtful strategies, you can use that to help reduce the stress you feel at work.

We have looked at using ambient noise as a strategy for helping you to be more focused and effective at work. Building on that now gives you some tools to specifically feel more relaxed as you listen. Everyone has different preferences, so what makes you feel calm might irritate other people in your office. So use headphones if you need to keep things quiet, but try to build in some time to listen to soothing sounds when things start to build up at work

One tool you might enjoy is the website Noisli. “Noisli is here to make you more focused and boost your productivity. A background noise generator that helps you drown out annoying noises and that lets you create your perfect environment for working and relaxing. You can mix different sounds and create your perfect sound environment tailored to your personal need and taste.” I enjoy mixing in ocean waves, crackling fire, and just a hint of wind. Noisli can be used on your computer, or with an app on your phone. You can also enjoy the changing colors on the background, if you are watching the site.

Animals and stress relief

Animals can be great antidote to workplace stress!

Watching fish swim, patting a kitty, walking with a dog – it can all help to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and diminish the symptoms of anxiety. Ahhhh….what could be nicer?

If your library has a fish tank, or a resident cat, or a therapy dog who visits and wouldn’t mind taking a break from listening to kids read so she can listen to librarians talk about their day – you are set! If you don’t have one at hand, there are plenty of other ways to watch some relaxing fish. Many aquariums have live cams, where you can enjoy watching some fish swimming all over the world!

AASL Recommended App: Organization & Management: OneNote

In June 2016, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their 25 Best Apps for Teaching and Learning. The apps encourage qualities such as innovation and active participation, and are user-friendly.

OneNote is an organizational app designed for note-taking. It has pages and tabs just like a physical notebook, but also allows users to record audio, make comments on existing text, and capture images. The app can easily transfer between platforms like desktops, tablets, and mobile devices. Educators can create notebooks to share assignments and feedback with students.

This article from MakeUseOf gives ten tips (including several helpful videos) on how to effectively use the OneNote app, both for teachers and students. Author Saikat Basu has also written an another article detailing how helpful OneNote can be in everyday life, outside of the classroom. Looking for more examples of OneNote success stories? Check out the OneNote education blog.

Cost: Free
Level: Elementary, Middle, and High School
Platforms: iOS and Android