by Paul Gibson
Home >> Weapons of Stress Reduction
Historically, stress has always existed. The everyday worries and daily preoccupation with life issues and emotional roller coaster of love-hate relationships: husband-wife, boss-worker, parent-child, teacher – student…
In Spain, they seem to have come up with a band-aid for those who suffer workplace stress. Located just 160 kms outside Madrid, in the town of Lubia, they have organised what many are calling the ultimate “damage therapy.�
For a measly €40, Spaniards and Spanish residents can hammer away at anywhere from cars, mobile phones, and television sets, to pictures of their own boss with a handy sledgehammer. Sound ridiculous?
Ridiculous or not, it certainly seems to pay the bills for co-founder Jorge Arribas. One of the master minds behind the new “therapy�, Jorge explains how they “motivate� participants to make their experience more memorable.
At first, most participants are quite nervous and unsure about what to do, but once the bashing starts and everything has been smashed to smithereens, people feel like they have gotten rid of all their worries. Theoretically, the experience can last up to two hours, but participants have yet to pass the 30-minute mark.
The therapy was originally “designed� by a group called StopStress. But the latest promoters of the therapy are our very own NH Hotels. The prominent hotel chain sponsored a search, carried out by a team of psychologists from among 200 patients who were suffering from stress. The 30 contest winners were all provided sledgehammers and allowed to totally destroy an entire floor of a 146-room hotel which was being refurbished.
While the experience seems to have positive results, some viewers could not help but think about the tremendous waste of energy, resources and even the deliberate squandering of useful materials. Television sets, mobile phones, cabinets, bedframes, closets… I would imagine there are a number of charitable organisations that could have used those to furbish a decent home for some of the underprivileged, poorer citizens of Madrid.
The other less obvious doubt is simpler. Does this therapy really provide some sort of release or tension-breaker for stressed individuals, or does it encourage more violent, uncontrolled behaviour among patients? I suppose most of us have not had the experience of taking a sledgehammer to anything… (although there are days my head feels like it’s going to explode). Maybe it represents our desire or love for anything “forbidden,â€? which seems to be quite rampant in Spain, as the number of thefts and violent crimes seems to increase day by day.
Whatever the motivation, a certain few are definitely cashing in on the misfortune of others.
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Posted on http://www.weeklyletter.com at 2007-07-10 10:00:00 +0200
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The hurries move everybody. Nobody has time for anything, and this lack of time takes everybody to the stress. We have to find the way of relaxing. Each one has it one.
When I come house try not to ignite the TV and start reading a book. Something that doesn’t have anything that to see with my day after day, and helps me to disconnect. When I am working, and I feel that my nerves are going to break, I go out and give a small walk about the building. It relax me a lot.
The “therapy” in the read is positive, or could it potentially contribute to violent behaviour? I don’t know. But I think that such “therapy” need them to get out their nerves. I’d like to do it!
Why not?
The violent behaviour is inside each one, and I don’t think that this therapy could contribute to potent it.
Thank you for your comments Esther…
Yes, we all need to “unleash the animal” we have inside. As an advisor of mine used to say, it’s a good idea to do some sports to relieve the stress that comes with life itself. This can be walking for some, running for others or just plain football or tennis.
Me? I like to take my little one out for a spin in the stroller!
Thanks for your comments Esther!