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. We need new information and new solutions before we’ll see stress levels decline. HeartMath® ( www.heartmath.com), known worldwide for their extensive research on stress, has dedicated the past decade to decoding the underlying mechanics of stress. HeartMath stress experts say there are significant factors in reducing stress that are not being emphasized nearly enough.

People need to recognize that stress does its worst damage when we accumulate it. Most 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.

The human body doesn't care if it’s a big stress or a little one. Deborah Rozman, Ph.D., a spokesperson for HeartMath® and coauthor of Transforming Stress says: “Many people don’t realize that the body responds to stress the same, whether a tornado just tore through your town or you’re irritated at your phone company. The life and death tornado scenario should be more damaging physiologically, but in today’s society many people overreact to the small stuff, which triggers a stressful chain reaction in the body equivalent to having lived through a horrific event.”

Rozman also says that most people tend to ignore or become resigned and adapted to these small, subtle stressors. “When people let stress accumulate, they often don’t notice how it impacts them until it’s too late. By the time they take that three-day weekend, they’ve already accumulated the stress and it’s already done damage.”

HeartMath®, founded in 1991 by Doc Childre, is a respected pioneer in their research on the physiology of and relationship between the heart, stress, and emotions—an area that has been largely overlooked. Their research has been published in journals such as American Journal of Cardiology, Stress Medicine, Preventive Cardiology, and Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

HeartMath’s research emphasizes the critical link between the heart and emotions, and demonstrates how the heart responds to emotional and mental reactions. Their researchers have found that with every beat of the heart, intricate messages are being sent to the entire body.

Rozman says, “Each time we feel annoyed, frustrated, worried or angry we’re literally broadcasting that stress to every cell in our body. Emotions are potent and extremely influential over our health. This is evident in current health-related statistics. For instance, 75 to 90 percent of all doctor visits are stress related. ”

The HeartMath® approach for transforming stress isn’t just another stress management or coping system. This is why their work is recognized as a leading resource for the national media. The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, CNN Headline News, Newsweek, and Harvard Business Review, among others, consult HeartMath experts for the latest understandings and research on stress.

HeartMath® techniques work because they teach people how to address the mechanical or habitual stress reactions that have become etched into our neural circuitry. Whether it’s frustration, irritation, anxiety, worry, or anger, we can learn to neutralize stress as we move through the day—mentally and emotionally recalibrating so that stress never has a chance to accumulate.

Rozman says, “As we experience stressful or incoherent emotions, our heart rhythms become jagged or incoherent, which creates a chain reaction in the body. Blood vessels constrict, blood pressure rises, and the immune system is weakened. This imbalance can put a strain on the heart and other organs and eventually lead to serious health problems.

“Conversely, positive heart qualities, such as love, care, appreciation and compassion, produce smooth, coherent rhythms that enhance communication between the heart and brain, and are considered to be indicators of cardiovascular efficiency and nervous system balance.”

A recent stress-related study conducted at a global oil company, found a 65 percent reduction in tension, 87 percent reduction in fatigue, and a 65 percent reduction in anger in middle- and senior-level managers who had been trained in the HeartMath techniques.

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine published another HeartMath study that focused on a group of hypertensive individuals. After learning and using the HeartMath techniques, the study participants experienced substantial reductions in blood pressure: an average drop of 10.6 points systolic and 6.3 points diastolic. This marked shift would be equal to a forty-pound weight loss and would have twice the impact of a sodium-restricted diet or exercise regimen. The study participants also experienced significant improvements in their emotional health, stress symptoms, and depression levels.

In their book Transforming Stress, authors Childre and Rozman present key emotional management tools, including Freeze-Frame®, Heart Lock-In®, and Attitude Breathing®. These tools are scientifically validated and have been successfully utilized by thousands of people from all walks of life. The book is designed to help readers pinpoint their key stressors and then use the tools to shift their emotional responses to the stressors. Throughout the book, the authors provide exercises to help deepen the readers’ understanding of the HeartMath techniques.

Through years of dedicated research, HeartMat®h has focused on educating people on the key factors in relieving stress. HeartMath® maintains that a significant shift will only come when the necessary emphasis is put on the integral role of emotions in how people accumulate and experience stress. In Transforming Stress, the authors explain the simple and straightforward tools and techniques developed by HeartMath to help anyone transform their stress and live a healthier, more fulfilling life.

Transforming Stress: The HeartMath® Solution for Relieving Worry, Fatigue, and Tension will be available March 1, 2005. To learn more about the HeartMath system, visit: www.heartmath.com.

For more information e-mail Gabriella Boehmer (gboehmer@heartmath.com) or call (831) 388-8710