Mindfulness: The Anti-Aging

Stress Solution

Jennifer Hunter, LISW-S

Director of Wellness, Employer Services

Our Clients: Stories & Studies

STRESS IS THE #1 ISSUE FROM

OVER 25 WELLNESS

ASSESSMENTS RECENTLY

PERFORMED!

Healthy Performance with

StressFreeNow

Why don’t Zebras have ulcers?

The Interheart Study • 30000 patients in 52 countries

• Assess the conventional risk factors (blood pressure,

smoking, …) on the incidence of myocardial infarction.

Yusef, S. et al., Lancet, 2004 364: 937-952

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Smoking Stress Diabetes Hypertension Obesity

Ris

k F

ac

tor

Acute MI Risk

Psychological distress is comparable to smoking and more

significant than blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes”.

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Resilience is the emotional and physiological capacity to bounce back from adversity, and to call upon a reservoir of energy to deal with challenge and opportunity

Unmanaged Stress is the prime disabler of resilience

Mindfulness based tools and Learned Optimism are the most effective means to mitigate chronic stress

Resilience

Key Elements of Mindfulness

Attention Intention

Mindful

Awareness

“Paying

attention”

Attitude

“On

purpose”

“In the present

moment, non-

judgmentally”

Adapted from Shapiro et al. (2006). J Clin Psychol.

Our wondering minds

Killingsworth, M. & Gilbert, D., Science, 12 November 2010

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Self-care Work Exercise Making

love

% mind wanders

We spend 47% of our lives lost in thought

False Expectations Appearing Real

85% of Self Talk is ____________.

__% of what you worry about never

happens.

__% of conversations are about

complaints.

“Guided imagery reduces pain, anxiety, time in the hospital

and health care costs for our cardiac care surgical patients.

The data from the Stress Free Now program implies that

guided imagery impacts many more people, including those

who are most in need of stress relief or pain relief.”

Toby Cosgrove, MD

Cleveland Clinic CEO and President

Thoughts on Stress Free Now . . .

Stress Free Now

Protection Against Aging

Improved concentration and memory

Increased attention Immune function

Pain Management