The Stress Relief Effects Of Foot Warming During Mental Workload

Stress has become a social problem in recent years, and stress control plays a key role in daily life. Researchers have studied methods of stress detection and spontaneous stress relief such as listening to soothing music and walking in a forest. However, some people are unable to take spontaneous breaks; therefore, the development of a means of taking "nonexplicit breaks," to relieve stress unconsciously while working, is required. In this study, we proposed a stress-relief method that did not disturb working. To relieve stress, individuals warm their feet while working, because their hands and feet often become cold when they are under stress. We examined the effect of stress relief via foot warming, and the results revealed that warming the feet caused an increase in RR intervals related to relaxation levels.