Time To Tap Into Your 'Screen Saviour'
Posture problems, 'typist's finger', the chance of catching all kinds of nasties from your keyboard and to top it all off the frequent torture of having to watch a beautiful sunny day pass by whilst sitting at your desk... It's reassuring to know that new research can now reveal at least one part of sitting in front of your computer all day can be beneficial to your life.
Research from Isklar the new glacial natural mineral water from Norway has discovered your screen saver can actually be a 'screen saviour' at work. The study proved that by taking a regular break from your work, to gaze upon scenic imagery such as snow-capped mountains, can boost productivity by raising your mental state of alertness by 20% and cut stress levels by 30% on average.
During the study, volunteers were shown a series of views – ranging from urban scenes to open countryside and from seascapes to snow-covered peaks – while their brain activity was recorded and their body monitored for changes in stress levels. The results showed that gazing at different images can trigger specific states of mind. For example, some images, such as a quiet country scene, tend to make people feel more relaxed. Others, for instance those depicting a busy, bustling, city street, raise levels of alertness.
The study aimed to identify the type of picture most likely to produce a state of mind that combines both mental alertness with physical relaxation, a combination that gives you ice-clear thinking or what athletes call being in The Zone. The image that best achieved this is one of scenes which include mountains or glaciers with pure white snow and ice, together with brilliant blue skies. Neuropsychologist Dr David Lewis* who analysed the findings explains,
“Dedicated sportsmen and women recognise this state of ice-clear thinking as a very special frame of mind in which their performance is automatic, flowing, exceptional and consistent. A level of harmony between mind and body which enables them to achieve their goals.”
So if you’re having a mental block at work and want to get your thoughts ‘ice-clear’, make sure you download an image of glacial wilderness, such as the one used in this study**, as your screen saver.
Dr Lewis adds, “ By entering an ‘ice-clear’ state of mind it becomes possible to achieve one’s goals more easily and confidently, without needless stress. It also becomes far more likely that obstacles will be overcome and challenges dealt with calmly and effectively. In an increasingly pressured commercial world, attaining such a state of mind could make the difference between success and failure.”
A spokesperson for Isklar says, “Isklar, meaning ice-clear in Norwegian, brings a refreshing new dynamic to the market. Sourced from a pristine glacial wilderness untouched by human intervention, it has an unrivalled low sodium/mineral content that delivers unique crisp taste, that is both pure and invigorating. At Isklar we encourage the concept of taking time out to reflect and return to work with ice-clear thinking.”
Other Research Findings
- While the quiet country landscapes or tranquil seascapes often used as aids to relaxation may calm people down, they are less likely to produce the unique mental and physical state that is associated with entering The Zone.
- The greatest physical tension came from looking at the ‘Green Plains’ image, followed by a wave about to break on the beach. In contrast, looking at images of a desert plain or glacier brought on a high level of physical relaxation - the abstract, geometric shapes of the desert and the serene tranquillity of a glacier made them the most calming.
- The more familiar an image is to us, the greater the influence it has over us. This was demonstrated by the fact that half of the volunteers had been provided with an image of snow-capped mountains and asked to use it as their screen saver for four weeks prior to the study. These volunteers were found to have a stress baseline some five times lower the ‘Control Group’ proving that regular prior exposure to a similar image can actually reduce the stressful effects of some images.
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A full set of images used in the study and brain maps are available on request.
** Log onto www.isklar.no to download the screen saver that induced an ice-clear state of mind.
For further press information or images on this study, please contact Paola Nicolaides at EURO RSCG Biss Lancaster:
T: +44 (0)207 467 9205 E: paola.nicolaides@bisslancaster.com
Notes To Editors
- * Dr David Lewis, who for four years presented the Sony-award-winning BBC radio programme Sporting Partnerships, has interviewed many top flight sporting personalities, such as Colin Montgomery, Colin Jackson and Dame Tani Grey Thompson, in his quest to understand the nature of The Zone.
- The study took place between the 5th – 9th May 2008
- During the study 12 images were presented to volunteers in the form of a slide show with blank screens between each one. Each picture was displayed for ten seconds with a ten seconds black screen between them.
- None of the images used in the study had previously been seen by any of the volunteers
- Recommended retail prices range from 79p for the 70cl sports bottle to £3.79 for a pack of 6 1.5L bottles. Isklar is available from selected retailers such as Waitrose and Morrissons nationwide
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