Stress Reduction
Seventy percent of all illness, physical and mental, is linked to stress (Source: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 2000).
Most stress management techniques and programs just talk about how to deal with stress.
Visit Yourself at Work gets results with experiential interactive classes.
Scientific studies have demonstrated the benefits of mindfulness meditation in the reduction of stress. Practitioners commonly report an increased ability to relax, enhanced energy and enthusiasm for life, greater self-esteem, better concentration, and an ability to cope more effectively with stress at work and in other areas of daily life.
Meditation is proven to provide immediate and lasting effects...and even slow down the aging process!
From The Washington Post:
There's a widespread notion that stress can age you. But until recently, no one's been able to prove that, or show why. Then last year, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, published research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showing that chronic stress speeds the collapse of the ends of gene bundles inside cells, hastening the body's physical breakdown.
Researchers measured the lengths of telomeres--the caps at the ends of chromosomes, the molecules that hold genes. In 39 women ages 20 to 50 who had been experiencing long-term stress tied to their care of a child with a serious chronic illness, researchers found shorter telomeres than in a control group of women whose children were healthy.
The takeaway? Say experts, try to manage the stress in your environment. And find better ways to manage your response to that stress through exercise, meditation and relaxation.
Controlled studies have tied meditation to lower blood pressure. A study this spring in the American Journal of Cardiology that followed 202 people over several years found lower rates of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer in those who practiced meditation.
Redfearn, Suz. The Washington Post, August 2, 2005; HE01. "Joy . . . or Pain? To Some Extent, How You Feel for the Rest of Your Life Is Under Your Control. Here's What Science Shows Can Boost Your Chances of Living Healthier, Happier and Longer."
