Stress management » Stress Test

Engineering – Methodology

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 15:23:09 +0000

Engineers apply the sciences of physics and mathematics to find suitable solutions to problems or to make improvements to the status quo. More than ever, engineers are now required to have knowledge of relevant sciences for their design projects, as a result, they keep on learning new material throughout their career.

If multiple options exist, engineers weigh different design choices on their merits and choose the solution that best matches the requirements. The crucial and unique task of the engineer is to identify, understand, and interpret the constraints on a design in order to produce a successful result. It is usually not enough to build a technically successful product; it must also meet further requirements.

Constraints may include available resources, physical, imaginative or technical limitations, flexibility for future modifications and additions, and other factors, such as requirements for cost, safety, marketability, productibility, and serviceability. By understanding the constraints, engineers derive specifications for the limits within which a viable object or system may be produced and operated.

Problem solving

Engineers use their knowledge of science, mathematics, and appropriate experience to find suitable solutions to a problem. Engineering is considered a branch of applied mathematics and science. Creating an appropriate mathematical model of a problem allows them to analyze it (sometimes definitively), and to test potential solutions.

Usually multiple reasonable solutions exist, so engineers must evaluate the different design choices on their merits and choose the solution that best meets their requirements. Genrich Altshuller, after gathering statistics on a large number of patents, suggested that compromises are at the heart of “low-level” engineering designs, while at a higher level the best design is one which eliminates the core contradiction causing the problem.

Engineers typically attempt to predict how well their designs will perform to their specifications prior to full-scale production. They use, among other things: prototypes, scale models, simulations, destructive tests, nondestructive tests, and stress tests. Testing ensures that products will perform as expected.

Engineers as professionals take seriously their responsibility to produce designs that will perform as expected and will not cause unintended harm to the public at large. Engineers typically include a factor of safety in their designs to reduce the risk of unexpected failure. However, the greater the safety factor, the less efficient the design may be.

The study of failed products is known as forensic engineering, and can help the product designer in evaluating his or her design in the light of real conditions. The discipline is of greatest value after disasters, such as bridge collapses, when careful analysis is needed to establish the cause or causes of the failure.

Computer use

As with all modern scientific and technological endeavors, computers and software play an increasingly important role. As well as the typical business application software there are a number of computer aided applications (Computer-aided technologies) specifically for engineering. Computers can be used to generate models of fundamental physical processes, which can be solved using numerical methods.

One of the most widely used tools in the profession is computer-aided design (CAD) software which enables engineers to create 3D models, 2D drawings, and schematics of their designs. CAD together with Digital mockup (DMU) and CAE software such as finite element method analysis or analytic element method allows engineers to create models of designs that can be analyzed without having to make expensive and time-consuming physical prototypes.

These allow products and components to be checked for flaws; assess fit and assembly; study ergonomics; and to analyze static and dynamic characteristics of systems such as stresses, temperatures, electromagnetic emissions, electrical currents and voltages, digital logic levels, fluid flows, and kinematics. Access and distribution of all this information is generally organized with the use of Product Data Management software.

There are also many tools to support specific engineering tasks such as Computer-aided manufacture (CAM) software to generate CNC machining instructions; Manufacturing Process Management software for production engineering; EDA for printed circuit board (PCB) and circuit schematics for electronic engineers; MRO applications for maintenance management; and AEC software for civil engineering.

In recent years the use of computer software to aid the development of goods has collectively come to be known as Product Lifecycle Management (PLM).

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Engineering, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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Stress Relief Therapy Through Stress Knowledge and Stress Testing

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 07:12:49 +0000

By: Dr Jeff Bailey

Some years ago my wife and I conducted research into students who had significant reading disabilities. We were worried that there might be a positive correlation between reading underachievement and elevated stress levels. This seemed to be an area that no one had bothered about in their research. The connection between a reading disability and emotional well-being, specifically stress, seem to be an obvious one. We identified a cohort of fourth graders who had a serious reading disability and we measured their stress levels using a ‘self-report’ system, that is, a pencil and paper survey.

This was one research study with a socially positive outcome. We were delighted to find that at least in this sample of boys in this particular school that while the boys were significant underachievers in reading, their stress levels were normal and no stress relief program was necessary.

I firmly believe in careful and frequent measuring of stress levels in my patients. How else can I know if my stress relief therapy is working? I don’t know anyone who does not want to relieve their stress? Do you think your results would be accurate using a self-report instrument? The answer is – ‘Yes’. You can measure your own stress levels just as easily and reliably as you can tell a psychologist how well you feel, your level of depression and anxiety and so on. When people start to understand themselves and become attuned to the variations in their ‘wellness’, they CAN report reliably. After all, emotional well-being is a personal and subjective business, don’t you agree?

There other physiological stress testing programs – urine and blood analysis. Both require medical analysis and the chemical of interest is cortisol. There seems to be substantial evidence that cortisol levels increase with psychological stress. There is little doubt that as your stress levels rise, there are increases in physiological responses too. These include elevated heart rate, blood pressure, flushing, skin changes and so on. For many people there are also headaches and even migraines and associated aura.

If you want self-report stress tests – go online! There are plenty of online tests of nearly anything. Unfortunately, you would never know how reliable these tests are. I use a 10 item Stress Test to understand how my clients feel about their levels of stress and anxiety. If we use this test several times over a period of months, we can both track the client’s changes in mood. To meet the challenge of managing stress I have to check that my stress relief therapy is working.

When I assess patient stress before introducing stress relief programs, I ask whether people have been feeling worried and upset, if they have noted changes in sleeping or eating, whether they feel refreshed after sleep, able to relax, feel physically ill, are inattentive and unproductive and have mood swings. These responses can be grouped under four main headings: Physiological and Physical Responses; emotional responses, inter-personal responses; and cognitive responses.

I think it is important to know my patients’ levels of stress. The more you know, the easier it is to manage the stress and anxiety. I believe that we should know and understand ‘the enemy’. High levels of stress, being stressed out, experiencing burnout are all symptoms of a system that is disordered and unproductive. Small amounts of stress can be very helpful to us but excessive stress levels are seriously disabling. So we need information on stress. We need to know how stressed we are. We need to be able to identify the stressors.

To get the best out of stress relief therapy, we need to know how to respond to stress. I have identified 15 ways that people typically respond to stress. The trick is to choose those responses and stress management strategies that work best and fastest. Life is too short to waste valuable time being miserable.

Unfortunately, stress often interferes with relationships because we feel tense, anxious and worried. The sad part of this is that the best form of stress relief is social support. Being able to share our feelings with a friend or loved one reduces stress and tension. And this costs nothing. A trouble shared is often a trouble halved. Of course sometimes the issues are much more difficult to manage. A good case in point is the current problems many people are experiencing in regard to home loans and mortgage foreclosures. These and other more serious stressors require professional help.

It is my hope that this information on stress and stress relief is helpful. Naturally, these short articles are like icebergs – we can cover a small amount of the issue but much remains under the surface and requires deeper reading and investigation. My final point is that the more you know about your personal psychology, mental health, stress levels and anxiety, the more YOU can take charge of your life, successfully relieve and manage stress.

Dr Jeff, a psychologist, writes about stress. He has consulted with many employees and organizations to reduce stress and increase morale. He knows that most people experience higher levels of stress from time to time. To understand how to manage stress and the key principles of stress relief, we need to know a lot about the psychology of stress and stress management. For more stress relief information, visit http://www.drjeffbailey.com to get a free book that will introduce you to effective stress management. For Dr Jeff’s full book on stress management, go to http://mightydigitaldownloads.com/dr-jeff681632552752156691045/stress-management-by-dr-jeff/ for a comprehensive guide to stress management and stress relief.

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Stress Home Remedies and Effective Natural Home Treatment for Stress Pain Relief

Sat, 12 Mar 2011 15:22:50 +0000

By: dr. sarkozy
Stress, either quick or steady, can induce risky body-mind disorders. Immediate disorders such as dizzy spells, anxiety attacks, tension, insomnia, nervousness and muscle cramps can all result in chronic health problems.

They may also affect our immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems and lead individuals to habitual addictions, which are inter-linked with stress.

Read more on Home Remedies for Stress and Natural Anti-Stress Herb and Natural Stress Relief

Stress is a normal physical reply to events that make you feel in danger or upset your balance in some way.

When you sense danger – whether it’s real or imagined – the body’s military protection kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic procedure known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction, or the stress response.

Stress is simply a fact of nature — forces from the outside world moving the individual. The individual responds to stress in ways that involve the individual as well as their environment.

Hence, all living creatures are in a stable interchange with their surroundings (the ecosystem), both physically and behaviorally.

This interplay of forces, or energy, is of course there in the relationships between all matter in the universe, whether it is living (animate) or not living (inanimate).

Stress is a feeling that’s created when we react to exacting events. It’s the body’s way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough state of affairs with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness.

The events that provoke stress are called stressors, and they cover a whole range of situations — everything from complete physical danger to making a class appearance or taking a semester’s worth of your toughest subject.

Stress Treatment

Natural antidepressants are flattering more and more popular as a treatment for mental illness. Many anxiety and depression treatments do not pose any removal symptoms or side effects.

Natural antidepressants are the alternatives to depression anxiety stress action drugs as they are more effective, less luxurious and less intrusive.

They are without side property and can be used by everyone. These natural depression treatments can be safely used over long period. They are able to prevent relapse in the future and also to treat the existing symptoms.

We can put the brakes on once we have been accessed. If there is nothing in immediate need of repair, we can take responsibility for our actions. It’s time to re-assess what we are doing in our lives.

And so alcohol, drugs, tranquillizers and anti-depressants are frequently turned to in an attempt to escape from and cope with the often overwhelming and frequently incapacitating effects of stress.

Home Remedies for Stress

1. The most effectual way to treat stress would be to chew 10-20 leaves of Holy Basil everyday.

2. Another effectual home remedy would be to prepare a decoction of Holy Basil leaves. For this, add 20 to 25 leaves in half a liter of water. Boil this decoction until it gets reduced to half. Strain the mixture and drink it while it’s still warm.

3. Prepare a paste with dry ginger and water/ milk. Apply this on your forehead. Its cooling properties will help ease off the stress a bit.

4. Take some betel leaves and wash them in water. Place the leaves on the brow and leave them there for sometime. This is likely to bring relief from stress.

5. Bishop’s Weeds (Ajwain) are helpful in treating stress. Put a handful of the seeds in a handkerchief and sniff them for sometime.

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Stress Management Tips to Help you Manage your Stress

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:23:23 +0000

By: drcharlesbuchar
Stress is a fact of life, but being stressed out is not. We don’t always have control over what happens to us, says Allen Elkin, Ph.D., director of the Stress Management Counseling Center in New York City, and yet, that doesn’t mean we have to react to a difficult, challenging situation by becoming frazzled or feeling overwhelmed or distraught. Being overly anxious is not just a mental hazard; it’s a physical one too. The more stressed out we are the more vulnerable we are to colds, flu, and a host of chronic or life-threatening illnesses. And the less open we are to the beauty and pleasure of life.

Read more on Natural Stress Relief and Memory Improvement and also visit on Home Remedies for Stress

Here are nine tips to help you manage your stress.

Know what stresses you most. Not your co-worker, friend, husband, or wife. YOU!! Get your feelings out. Write them out and describe each situation. Share all bad feelings with a friend or in a journal. Before you can conquer your stresses you must know what is stressing you.

Say no. Focus on you own goals, not your spouse’s or parents’. You must know yourself, your dreams, and your passions. If asked to chair another group or take on another responsibility, look at your mission statement or goals for the day. If it is does not fit it there say thank you but I just cannot. Saying no is one of the hardest things in life, but will help make you a success in your chosen field.

Learn to relax. Work hard but know when to take time off to be with the family, go to the beach, or read a book. Work all day if you must but when you get home play in the snow, watch cartoons, or tell your child a story. This allows stress tension to go away and helps you calm the heart’s pace and digest food normally, and protect your immune system. Learn to meditate and take deep breaths to calm down.

Natural Stress Relief Tips and Techniques for Hypertension Relief

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 04:22:14 +0000

By: drcharlesbuchar
Stress can act as a motivator or energizer. Too much of bad stress can cause medical and social problems. Because the body responds to stress physically, bad stress causes the “fight or flight” reaction. The body changes, prepares to either confront the challenge or flee from it. Stress releases adrenaline (the stress hormone), heart rate increases, breathing quickens and blood pressures rises. The liver increases output of sugar and blood flow is diverted to the brain and large muscles. Symptoms of stress include, feeling anxious, feeling scared, irritable or moody. Stress affects thoughts. Thoughts of low self-esteem, fear of failure, inability to concentrate, worrying about the future, preoccupation with thoughts/tasks and forgetfulness can be present. Stress affects behavior. It can cause stuttering and other speech difficulties, bouts of crying for no apparent reason, laughing in a high pitch or nervous tone of voice, increased accident prone behavior, overeating, under eating and increased use of drugs and alcohol.

Read more on Stress Relief and Hypertension Relief and also visit on Brain Enhancer

Natural Stress Relief Tips

1. Do not take chips and other junk foods at the time of stress. It can increase your stress.

2. Do not take coffee at the stress. It can increase your blood pressure.

3. Take Fruits for stress relief.

4. Having a tea is good stress relief technique.

5. Take Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps in stress relief activity.

6. Spinach and green vegetables can relief from stress.

7. Cheese, egg and chicken or proteins can relief from stress.

8. Carbohydrate can help you in stress relief program for whole day.

9. Take fibers (chapatti, bread and others) in food for stress relief.

10. Take always fresh vegetables in your food.

11. Always chew the food a lot.

These are some essential stress relief tips. With the help of this stress relief program or technique, you will be able to relief from stress. One more technique is used for stress relief program.

Meditation for Stress Relief: – Meditation can be extremely helpful in a natural stress management routine. It helps you to refocus and relax. When you meditate your body will be restored to a calm state giving it the opportunity to reverse the effects of stress and prevent further wear and tear. Meditation for stress relief can be practiced on your own or you can get a meditation CD or DVD.