Students may benefit from HeartMath technology

Posted on | by HeartMath

High school and college students today may be experiencing five times the levels of stress and depression of their counterparts who were in school during the Great Depression, according to the Associated Press.

An article reported on the findings of a survey called the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, which followed secondary and university students from 1938 to present day and recoded assessments of their psychological states.

The research revealed that about 31 percent of modern students experience anxiety and unrealistic optimism when it comes to school, compared to just 5 percent of their 1938 counterparts. Additionally, the study showed that rates of depression in students today is about 6 percent, compared to 1 percent seven decades ago.

“The next question is: What do we do about it?” asked lead author Jean Twenge, a San Diego State University psychology professor, quoted by the news source.

According to ULifeline.com, stress management often entails addressing both mental and physical factors from a holistic approach. This may include taking a walk, setting aside some alone time or talking with a friend.
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Realistic expectations may reduce stress for working moms

Posted on | by HeartMath

The myth of the “supermom” – a woman who can juggle a successful career and full-time parenting – appears to put a lot of pressure on women who choose to have both a job and a family, sometimes even leading to depression.

A study that was conducted at the University of Washington reveals that mothers who expect to make minor sacrifices in work or home life, such as skipping a kid’s soccer game or leaving work early for a recital, tend to be mentally healthier than their counterparts with high expectations of themselves.

“Women are sold a story that they can do it all, but most workplaces are still designed for employees without child-care responsibilities,” said lead author Katrina Leupp. “You can happily combine child rearing and a career, if you’re willing to let some things slide.”

The study involved 1,600 working moms who were 40 years old and married.

It’s likely that women who feel pressured to be “supermom” experience high levels of workplace stress. Results of this study suggest that employee wellness programs that provide tips for a balanced life and stress management may help working moms perform better both on the job and at home.

Prolonged exposure to adrenaline may be cause of harmful effects of stress

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Stress has the potential to do more than cause feelings of anxiousness or unease, it can also lead to a host of conditions and illnesses. Until now, the medical community has had only an idea of why stress affects the body.

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center believe that the elevated adrenaline levels that occur when a person is stressed may be the cause of stress’ possible disease-causing effect.

In a mouse model, a team of scientists found that inducing stress in rodents through an infusion of a compound that is similar to adrenaline resulted in DNA damage by triggering certain biological pathways.

“This could give us a plausible explanation of how chronic stress may lead to a variety of human conditions and disorders, which range from merely cosmetic, like graying hair, to life-threatening disorders like malignancies,” said senior author Robert Lefkowitz, M.D.

For many individuals, their job is a main source of stress. Results of this study suggest that staving off anxiety may be key in preventing disease.

Employee wellness programs that provide tools and resources for stress management have been shown to be effective in reducing workplace stress, improving employee performance and lowering costs stemming from health insurance.

Stressed-out employees prone to skipping lunch, poor eating habits

Posted on | by HeartMath

For many workers, taking a break in the middle of the day to eat a healthy lunch is a great way to relieve the stress of the morning and prepare for the tasks and problems of the afternoon.

While many managers realize this and encourage breaks, employees who experience high levels of workplace stress appear to be skipping lunch, according to a study conducted by UK insurance group Aviva.

“It’s well-documented that eating more healthily can improve general well-being and life expectancy, so there are countless benefits to adopting this approach in the workplace,” said Doug Wright, head of clinical development at Aviva.

About one third of workers said that they routinely skip a midday break, and 25 percent said they will only leave the office for food if their workload allows it. Some 13 percent of survey respondents said they avoid eating at work altogether.

The survey also revealed that about 43 percent of employers encourage healthy lunches, but a total of 39 percent of organizations that offer food don’t include nutritious items.

Employee wellness programs that provide tools and resources for stress management may help workers relax enough to realize that their bodies and brains need fuel to function properly.

Key aspects to look for in an employee wellness program

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As the popularity of wellness initiatives rises, so does the number of programs available. As as result, financial coaching company LFE Institute gave their recommendations of things to look for when choosing an effective employee wellness program.

Initiatives should provide clear problem-solving techniques and ideas. Specific solutions to problems like workplace stress are key to a successful initiative.

They should also engage employees with interactive workshops or coaching sessions. Research has shown that individuals are more apt to learn if they are engaged in an activity, compared to listening to a lecture or reading materials.

A good employee wellness program will provide measurable results. Showing a person their progress is an effective way to keep them using an initiative.

The company reported that educational interventions should be simple and not time-consuming. After all, a stressed-out worker typically already has enough on their plate.

Employee wellness programs designed by HeartMath’s team of scientists and experts have been shown to provide results, engage workers, teach healthy stress relief techniques and are easy to use.

Stressed-out parents may have children with behavioral impairments

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In a mouse model, researchers at the University of Haifa found that anxious mothers may have offspring that exhibit anti-social behavior.

However, they also discovered that stress-relieving interventions for the parents were effective in reversing this effect to some extent.

“As our study shows that the inheritance of the effects of adversity can be modified by timely intervention, this may have important educational and therapeutic implications,” said lead author Micah Leshem.

Since working mothers are by no means uncommon in today’s workplace, the findings have some relevance to workplace stress and preventing social problems in future generations.

Airline employees may be in need of stress reduction

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A column in the Seattle Times speculated on why flight attendants are becoming an increasingly hostile group of workers, in light of a new report that placed airline companies among the top worst performers due to poor customer service.

According to the American Customer Satisfaction index, airlines make up half of the top 10 worst-performing companies in the nation, reflecting less-than-stellar employee performance, wrote Christopher Elliott.

However, the fault may not lie completely on their shoulders.

“Flight attendants are under a great deal of stress because of increased security threats, continually changing federal regulations, bankruptcies, furloughs, salary cuts and loss of pensions and benefits,” Elliott noted.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee wrote a report about rudeness on the job. The authors said that hostility is often the result of intense workplace stress. Conversely, a well-performing staff likely stems from organization policies that ensure employee wellness.

Employee wellness programs that offer tools and resources for stress management have been shown to improve a company’s employee performance as well as reduce workplace stress.

Wisconsin may be next to offer high-deductible health insurance

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Wisconsin may join over 20 other states in offering a high-deductible health insurance plan (HDHP) with linked health savings accounts (HSA) to its employees, Human Resource Executive Online reports. According to the source, these states are looking at HDHPs as a way to reduce costs and trim tight budgets.

The Wisconsin secretary of employee trust funds and the director of state employment relations are currently studying the possibilities of a HDHP, partly to determine whether it would comply with federal health care law requirements.

“Most public employees have the richest benefits of anybody, so states have got to communicate the benefits of choosing HSAs to get employees to go from a zero deductible to a $1,200 deductible,” Helen Darling, president and CEO of the National Business Group on Health told the news source. She indicated that HSA’s allow the insured more control over spending as well as the chance to accumulate money in the account.

These options may allow the government to reduce costs while still providing employees with needed coverage. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health notes that financial and health concerns or the lack of health care may increase the risk of workplace stress negatively affecting employee performance. Research indicates that job stress can contribute to poor health over time.

Study reveals significant health benefits of employee wellness programs

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Using research involving more than 1,400 workers who participated in employee wellness programs, scientists at Henry Ford Hospital (HFH) in Detroit found that the interventions were successful in alleviating a host of stress-related conditions.

Authors of the study noted that chronic neck, back and head pain – often linked to anxiety – is estimated to cost U.S. employers $61 billion annually due to poor productivity.

The researchers began following the workers in 2007. Since then, the scientists observed that the wellness initiatives resulted in an improvement in chronic pain for 76 percent of the study group and a complete elimination of such discomforts for 39 percent of the individuals.

“Chronic pain and stress are intricately related and the importance of stress as a causal and/or aggravating factor in most chronic illnesses cannot be underestimated,” says Alba Rodriguez, Ph.D., of HFH. “These group programs have proven to be more effective than other approaches, and are more efficient and less expensive than most one-on-one care, whether conventional or alternative.”

Additional findings included a 74 percent reduction in workplace stress, a 50 percent alleviation in stress-related illnesses, such as high blood pressure and gastrointestinal conditions. Moreover, 70 percent of the employees reported that they were able to eliminate their use of pain medications.