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Published on 3/31/08
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A recent survey found that NYC is the fifth most stressful place to live in the U.S. (We know, we totally thought we’d come in first too.) “Numerous surveys confirm that stress levels have steadily risen over the past three decades, and that work is far and away the leading cause,” says Paul Rosch, M.D., president of the American Institute of Stress. Even more alarming, a study in 52 countries found that 17 percent of heart-attack victims pointed to stress in the workplace as the perpetrator.
The physical response
It starts with “a series of hormonal changes in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland that spread to the adrenal glands,” explains Dr. Rosch. What comes next, he says, varies widely: “Some people have diarrhea, others have cramps; some people blush, others turn pale—surveys show that 75–90 percent of all visits to primary-care physicians are for stress-related complaints.”
The solutions
“No stress-reducing strategy is a panacea,” says Rosch, but here are a few to try (also see “The move,”).
Be self-reflective
“Ask yourself, Is this me or the job?” says Philip Muskin, M.D., chief of service, psychiatry, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. “Have I had this problem at other places? Do I bring it with me?” Identify the factors that are within your power to change. “Nothing’s trivial; controlling something—anything—can make you feel better.”
Breathe
Ujjayi (pronounced “OO-ja-yee”), a relaxing form of yoga breathing, “is very helpful for anxiety, even though you’ll sound like Darth Vader,” says Dr. Muskin. “Tighten your throat and breathe in through your nose, then out through your mouth.” This alters the activity of your parasympathetic nervous system, which modulates stress.
If you’re in a quiet cubicle, inhale deeply, letting your belly fill with air, and hold it for a second, then breathe out. Count to six, Mississippi-style, then do it again. Repeat six times. Next, count to eight between breaths eight times. Then count to ten between breaths ten times. “You’ll take your breathing from ten breaths a minute to six breaths a minute,” says Muskin. “I thought I invented this, but it turns out it’s been around for 8,000 years.”
Take a one-minute appreciation break
We know it sounds super cheesy, but it’s actually a scientifically corroborated exercise that can change your heart rate. “Emotions like appreciation and love can help to create what scientists call coherence,” says Gaby Boehmer of technology company HeartMath, which holds stress-management training sessions for large corporations. “The term refers to the state you’re in when your heart, brain and nervous system are working harmoniously.” While any positive feeling will work, appreciation is the easiest to access: “Don’t just think it, bring the feeling literally into where you can feel it—that’s what brings about the physiological changes that reduce stress.” Do this three or four times a day.
Don’t rehash
Per Boehmer, avoid “emotional review,” the act of rescreening a stressful situation in your head. One five-minute internal bout of anger can suppress your immune system for up to six hours, while a five-minute episode of positive emotion can boost it for the same six-hour span.
Get a gadget
Tons of gizmos can coach you toward calm. “Heart-rate variability is maybe the most objective and accurate way to measure stress,” says Dr. Rosch. It seems odd, but the more fluctuations there are in your heart’s rhythm, the healthier you are. Handheld devices like Stress Eraser ($299, stresseraser.com) and emWave ($199, heartmath.com) take your pulse through your finger and give instructions for correcting it using breathing. “If you worry while using the Stress Eraser, you don’t get credit,” says Fred Muench, Ph.D., director of clinical research at technology company Helicor. “You have to remain mindful while you’re doing it—you learn to be very Zen.”
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