Staples advice: Shred stress away

Is recession-related stress getting you down? Then start shredding. And not just those pink slips and 401(k) reports.

The recommendation to shred your stress away comes from Staples Inc., the Framingham office supply retailer whose product mix includes a full line-up of paper shredders.

If a Staples press release is to be credited, the simple act of shredding can do more to diminish stress than a cup of soothing tea and a Shiatsu massage put together. What's more, the company says it has a survey that fully supports the assertion that shredding can buck up and effervesce even those in the bluest of funks.

Staples said in a press release: "According to a national consumer survey conducted by Staples Inc., 47 percent of respondents felt their stress level diminish after the simple act of shredding. In addition to experiencing 'Post-Shredding Stress Reduction,' people felt smarter (85 percent), more organized (83 percent), and in control of their lives (80 percent) after shredding."

The press release included a statement from consumer psychologist Richard Feinberg of Purdue University.

Said Feinberg: "Consumers use products like a shredder for utilitarian purposes but then these products have very significant and positive emotional and psychological impacts. These psychological impacts may not even be known by the consumer, but they can unconsciously improve their life. In a world where people are time deprived, increasingly stressed, and feeling more and more out of control, shredding may provide positive psychological fuel."

So here's another tip: Print out this post and shred it. We'll all feel a whole lot better.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)