Stress less

Did you know that between 60 to 90 percent of all doctors' visits are related to anxiety, insomnia, depression, obsessive anger and hostility, high blood pressure and heart attacks? It's true. And what is the common link among each of these issues listed? Stress!!!!!!!!!

Because stress signals your body to respond with surges of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol, blood pressure rises and your heart beats faster.

We stress about our jobs, we stress about money, we stress about being stuck in traffic, we stress about stress! It becomes a vicious circle of stress begetting more stress, and it is very damaging to our health. How do we fix it?

Some doctors suggest relaxing with meditation. Simply find a nice, quiet area to spend about 10 to 20 minutes breathing slow, deep and focused breaths. You can also repeat a word or sound, a mantra to help you drift off a bit in your mind. I know what some of you must already be thinking: "Who has 10 to 20 minutes to waste sitting alone in a room?" Everyone's schedule is hectic (hence the stress in the first place) and time is a valuable commodity. But, 10 to 20 minutes? It's very do-able. First thing in the morning, middle of the day, before bed -- I'm sure the time is there somewhere. And, based on the research, these 10 to 20 minutes will not be wasted at all.