Stress awareness month

Your manager asks for a report by tomorrow that you haven’t started. Your last meeting of the day

ended late, and now you have minutes until daycare closes. The little bugs you noticed flying around

your house turn out to be termites. We all face work and life stressors every day. According to the

American Institute of Stress, employees face significant levels of job stress that result in major health

ramifications. Eighty percent of workers feel stress on the job, and nearly half say they need help in

learning how to manage stress. Alleviating employee stress boosts employee wellness, improves

attention span and memory, and increases productivity. Meditation is a quick and easy way to relieve

stress and ease tension.

In recent years, several scientific studies have been conducted on the value of meditation. The Journal

of the American Heart Association stated that studies of meditation suggest a possible benefit for heart

disease risk. A 2014 study by doctors from Johns Hopkins Medicine reported meditation programs

reduced

Anxiety

Depression

Stress and

Physical pain

When feeling overwhelmed, benefits of meditation can be found in just five minutes and can be done

anywhere. No special props, tools or attire are required. Here are four steps of a basic meditation session:

1. Sit on the floor, a chair or lie flat on your back.

2. Keep your spine long, wakeful yet relaxed.

3. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Breathe naturally and calmly for a few minutes.

4. When you are ready to end your session, slowly bring awareness back to the area around you,

wiggle your fingers and toes, then open your eyes.

Don’t have minutes to spare for a full session? Wherever you are, stretch your spine long and simply take three deep breaths. You will instantly feel more relaxed and focused. In the words of meditation author Remez Sasson, “Learn to calm down the winds of your mind, and you will enjoy great inner peace.”