Stress Facts
Did you know that in the US ….
♥ Over 80 billion dollars of 2012 health care spending were attributable to stress-related disorders, such as depression and anxiety1
♥ Stress-related disorders represent the 3rd highest source of healthcare spending after heart disease and cancer (meps.ahrq.gov)
♥ Currently, about 60% to 90% of visits to the doctor are for conditions related to stress2
♥ These findings suggest that addressing stress, or better yet, preventing stress is essential to improving public health2
Does Stress Relate to Heart Disease Risk?
♥ Stress can contribute to the development of medical conditions such as heart disease 3
♥ Research has shown that relaxation exercises can be a helpful treatment for many stress-related health concerns like sleep issues, high blood pressure, and anxiety3
♥ People who practice meditation have lower stress, lower blood pressure, lower heart rate, and increased wellbeing compared to individuals who don’t practice meditation3
What is Mind Body Medicine?
♥ Mind Body Medicine is the importance of self care through healthy lifestyle choices, like nutrition and exercise2
♥ Dr. Herbert Benson, founder of the Benson Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, has shown that using the relaxation response can help people deal with life’s unexpected stress and achieve better health3
♥ The relaxation response involves two easy steps which are: 1) repeating a sound, word, phrase, prayer, or movement, and 2) setting aside distracting thoughts 2
How Can You Reduce Stress?
♥ Take a few minutes throughout your day to pay attention to how you are breathing
♥ Consider simple lifestyle changes geared towards reducing stress – such as practicing breathing techniques, prayer, yoga, or jogging2,3
♥ Watch the clip at the top of this page for a great example of the relaxation response from Dr. Benson
Resources:
- http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0140212
- http://bensonhenryinstitute.org/about/mission-and-history
- 3https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/heart-and-soul-healing/201303/dr-herbert-benson-s-relaxation-response
