If you would like to receive a reprint copy of the article please click here, fill out and submit the form. Article Description Stress is rampant, stress is growing, and stress hurts the bottom line. A 1999 study of 46,000 workers revealed that health care costs are 147% higher for those who are stressed or depressed, independent of other health issues. And it has gotten worse since then. But what exactly is stress? It usually refers to our internal reaction to negative, threatening, or worrisome situations--a looming performance report, say, or interactions with a dismissive colleague.

July 2003 Issue of the Harvard Business Review

Accumulated over time, negative stress can depress you, burn you out, and make you sick--because it's both an emotional and a physiological habit. Of course, many companies understand the negative impact of cumulative stress and offer programs to help employees counteract it. The problem is that employees in the greatest need of help often don't seek it and many methods don't really have a sustainable effect.

Since 1991, the Institute of HeartMath has studied the physiological impact of stress on performance, at both the individual and organizational levels. Our goal has been to decode the underlying mechanics of stress, getting to the physiological source of it, not just dealing with the symptoms. After working with more than 50,000 workers and managers in more than 100 organizations, we have found that learning to manage stress is easier than most people think.

We have devised a scientifically based system of tools, techniques, and technologies that organizations can use to reduce employee stress and boost overall health and performance. The article explains in detail how to use one of those tools and chronicles the story of Nigel, an organization executive, as he uses the tools to deal with the presence of stress in his life.

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