Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Room for Relaxation

The ‘World’s most relaxing room’ is a multimedia space created by Professor Richard Wiseman at the University of Hertfordshire. I came to know of it through Alka’s blog.

The main components of the room would include lavender aroma, calming glade-like green light, a soothing soundtrack, and a completely clear artificial blue sky.

The article also provides the following questionnaire which helps identify people who might be living life at a pace that exacerbates stress.

1. Do you seem to glance at your watch more than others?
2. When someone takes too long to get to the point, do you feel like hurrying them along?
3. Are you often the first person to finish at mealtimes?
4. When walking along a street, do you often feel frustrated because you are stuck behind others?
5. Would you become irritable if you sit for an hour without doing anything?
6. Do you walk out of restaurants or shops if you encounter even a short queue?
7. If you are caught in slow-moving traffic, do you seem to get more annoyed than other drivers?

Five or more ‘yes’ responses suggest that it might be time to take your foot off the accelerator and slow down.