A Stressed Nation
According to the American Psychological Association, at www.apa.org, 54% of Americans are concerned about the level of stress in their everyday lives. This may explain why we spend a whopping $11.3 billion per year to cope with stress. Stress in our society is so prevalent that the U.S. Public Health Service has made reducing stress one of its major health promotion goals.

Stress and Your Body
According to the National Health Resource Network, at www.stresscure.com, 90% of disease is caused or complicated by stress. Long-term stress is said to be strongly associated with depression, heart disease, gastrointestinal disorders, and weakened immune systems. Tranquilizers, antidepressants, and anti-anxiety medications account for one fourth of all prescriptions written in the U.S. each year.

Stress and the Workplace
Job stress is estimated to cost U.S. industry $300 billion annually. 62% of Americans say work has a significant impact on their stress levels and nearly half of all Americans suffer from symptoms of burnout. It is estimated that up to 60% of employees absences are due to psychological problems such as stress and depression.

Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), http://www.cdc.gov/niosh

5 Tips for Stress Reduction

1. State of the Union – Identify your sources of stress. Write them down and think of how to alleviate these problem areas. Taking the mystery out of your stress is the first step to overcoming it.
2. Exercise - Just 20 minutes a day can boost your endorphins.
3. Diet –Limit your intake of alcohol and caffeine and load up on a diet rich with fiber and nutrients by eating plenty of fruits and veggies.
4. Deep breathing – 60 seconds of deep, steady breathing can provide short term stress relief throughout the day.
5. Present tense – Stay in it! Worrying about tomorrow will swallow you up today.

Source: American Psychological Association, http://www.apa.org; National Health Resource Network, http://www.stresscure.com