Stress -- It's Just Not What it Used to Be
It used to be that we had a little stress, but who didn't? Besides, we knew how to treat it. A weekend off or a jog in the park could take the edge off and we were as good as new. Times have changed, stress today is relentless and many Americans are reaching their limit. An estimated 1 million workers a day are absent because of stress, says the American Institute of Stress. HeartMath®, (www.heartmath.com) known world-wide for their extensive research on stress, says that they have decoded the underlying mechanics of stress and that most people are using the wrong approach. It's all about rhythm - your heart's rhythms that is. And now thousands of people are getting into the right rhythm with a new software program called the Freeze-Framer®.
Stress does its worst damage when we accumulate it. People try to de-stress the same way they try a crash diet to lose weight. It doesn't last, and ultimately it doesn't work. Unfortunately, the human body doesn't care if it's a big stress or a little one. Bruce Cryer, President and CEO of HeartMath says, "The body responds to stress the same, whether a tornado just ripped through your neighborhood or you're irritated about a new company policy. The life and death tornado scenario should be more damaging physiologically but in today's society many people react to the small stuff, and their body experiences a stressful chain reaction equivalent to having lived through a horrific event." Another problem, according to HeartMath, is that most people tend to ignore or become resigned and adapted to the little irritations and annoyances of daily life; they let stress accumulate and don't notice how it impacts them until it's too late. By the time you take that three day weekend, you've already accumulated the stress and it's already done damage.
HeartMath claims its approach works because it teaches people how to address emotional stress like frustration, irritation, anxiety, worry, guilt and anger as it comes up in the moment. Their Freeze-Framer program is designed to teach people to easily neutralize stress as they move through their day - - mentally and emotionally re-calibrating so the stress doesn't accumulate.
So how does the heart's rhythm help you de-stress? HeartMath researchers say that with every beat of the heart intricate messages are being sent to the entire body. Their research shows a critical link between the heart and emotions and demonstrates how the heart responds to emotional and mental reactions. Cryer explains, "As we experience emotional reactions like frustration, irritation, anxiety, worry, guilt or anger, heart rhythms become incoherent, or more jagged, which interfere with the communication between the heart and brain." According to HeartMath research, these emotions create a chain reaction in the body. Blood vessels constrict, blood pressure rises, and the immune system is weakened. This consistent imbalance can put a strain on the heart and other organs, and eventually lead to serious health problems.
Cryer adds, "When we experience heart-felt emotions like love, care, appreciation and compassion the heart produces coherent, or smooth, rhythms that enhance communication between the heart and brain." Positive heart qualities produce harmonious rhythms that are considered to be indicators of cardiovascular efficiency and nervous system balance. They've also been shown to produce beneficial effects that include enhanced cognitive function, enhanced immunity and hormonal balance.
HeartMath's Freeze-Framer® program teaches you how to quickly bring your heart rhythms into balance. A finger pulse sensor feeds your heart beat into your PC, where you can watch your own heart rhythms shift in real time on your computer screen as you practice two simple techniques. As you learn how to shift into "the zone" where your body, mind and emotions are synchronised, or coherent, you experience more mental clarity, higher levels of energy, enhanced performance and perhaps best of all, less stress. Fortune 100 companies are now bringing this software into their organisations to improve employee performance and lower organisational healthcare costs. HeartMath clients include Cisco Systems, Motorola, Hewlett Packard, Boeing, Liz Claiborne, Pitney Bowes, Unilever and Sony, among others.
The program also has three fun, interactive games plus sophisticated and accurate graphs that motivate you to improve your skill in making quick shifts out of stress. It's easy to install and use both at home and in the work environment. The data recorded in each session can be saved for later review. Cryer says, "Practiced daily, the Freeze-Framer reinforces your inner poise and balance and helps you stay in control of your emotions and health."
For Information
Telephone: (02) 9412 2500 (Australia)
Telephone: +61 2 9412 2500 (International)
E-Mail: info@heartmath.com.au