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Contents Heart Disease 5 // By the numbers

Exercise

7 // Physical activity in adults 8 // Cardio, strength training tips for seniors 10 // 5 Steps to loving exercise

Nutrition

13 // 9 Healthy substitutions for everyday foods 15 // Worth the weight?

16 // Heart-healthy foods

10 Foods you should buy for quick, heart-healthy meals

18 // Recipe tips: berries, beans, broccoli

Stress 21 // 22 // 23 // 23 //

What is stress management?

How do we learn to manage our stress?

How stress affects you How do you respond?

Content from this heart guide and other national resources can be found at heart.org and goredforwomen.org.

The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest, largest voluntary organization devoted to fighting cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Founded by six cardiologists in 1924, our organization now includes more than 22.5 million volunteers and supporters working tirelessly to eliminate these diseases. We fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to save and improve lives.

Our nationwide organization includes 144 local offices and nearly 2,700 employees. We moved our national headquarters from New York to Dallas in 1975 to be more centrally located. The American Stroke Association was created as a division in 1997 to bring together the organization’s stroke-related activities.

Mission: Building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Our mission drives everything we do.

About Go Red For Women® Go Red For Women® is the American Heart Association’s national movement to end heart disease in women.

We are committed to the fight, for as long as it takes. The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement advocates for more research and swifter action for women’s heart health. The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement was created by women, for women. Because our health is nonnegotiable, because we have the power to save our lives, and because the best force for women is women.

The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement is nationally sponsored by Macy’s., Inc, with additional support from our cause supporters. For more information please visit GoRedForWomen.org or call 1-888-MY-HEART (1-888-694-3278).

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Heart disease

Knowing the numbers related to heart disease and educating yourself about the risk factors can change your life and the lives of others.

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By the numbers About 600,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year– that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. More than half of the deaths due to heart disease in 2009 were in men.

Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing more than 385,000 people annually.

Every year about 715,000 Americans have a heart attack. Of these, 525,000 are a first heart attack and 190,000 happen in people who have already had a heart attack.

Coronary heart disease alone costs the United States $108.9 billion each year.

This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity.

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Women and heart disease A woman’s risk for heart disease increases in middle age.

Roughly 3 million American women have suffered a heart attack.

Two-thirds of American women who have suffered a heart attack fail to make a full recovery.

Nearly two-thirds of American women who instantly die of a heart attack did not experience prior symptoms.

A woman dies of heart disease every 34 seconds.

Nearly 75 percent of men survive their first heart attack, while only 62 percent of women survive the first heart attack.

Forty-two percent of women will die within one year after a heart attack, while only 24 percent of men will die within the same period.

Thirty-three percent of angioplasties, stents and bypass surgeries are done for women with cardiovascular disease.

Sources: hearttruth.gov, American Heart Association, National Coalition of Heart Disease

Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Cardiovascular disease kills more Americans than the next five leading causes of death combined.

Sources: hearttruth.gov, American Heart Association, National Coalition of Heart Disease

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Exercise Take a walk, ride a bike, chase the kids, or go for a swim. Get moving at any age and your heart and health will thank you for it.

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Physical activity in adults

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he American Heart Association suggests at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise (or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity). Thirty minutes a day, five times a week is an easy goal to remember, however you will also experience benefits even if you divide your time into two or three segments of 10 -15 minutes per day.

Physical activity is anything that makes you move your body and burn calories, such as climbing stairs or playing sports. Aerobic exercises benefit your heart, such as walking, jogging, swimming or biking. Strength and stretching exercises are best for overall stamina and flexibility.

The simplest, positive change you can make to effectively improve your heart health is to start walking. It’s enjoyable, free, easy, social and great exercise. A walking program is flexible and boasts high success rates because people can stick with it. It’s easy for walking to become a regular and satisfying part of life.

AHA Recommendation At least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity at least five days per week for a total of 150.

OR at least 25 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity at least three days per week for a total of 75; or a combination of the two.

AND moderate to high intensity musclestrengthening activity at least two or more days per week for additional health benefits.

Can’t make it for 30 minutes?

Something is always better than nothing! And everyone has to start somewhere. Even if you’ve been sedentary for years, today is the day you can begin to make healthy changes in your life. If you don’t think you’ll make it for thirty minutes, set a reachable goal for today. You can work up toward your overall goal of thirty minutes by increasing your time as you get stronger. Don’t let all-or-nothing thinking rob you of doing what you can every day.

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Cardio, strength training tips for seniors

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by Katie Morell

egular exercise can help control your blood pressure, strengthen your heart and bones, boost energy and even help reduce depression. You are never too old to exercise.

If you have a chronic condition, be sure to get sign-off from your physician.

Dr. Deborah Rohm Young, chair of the American Heart Association’s Physical Activity Subcommittee, recommends regular physical activity for every person, including senior citizens.

Rohm Young shares her cardio, strength training and stretching tips for seniors below to help you create a workout routine you can do throughout the week and build upon. “Participating in physical activity will make you feel better almost immediately,” she says. “It is best to exercise 30 minutes per day at least five days per week for the best benefit.”

Cardio tips For overall health benefits to the heart, lungs and circulation, perform any moderate- to vigorousintensity aerobic activity using the following guidelines.

Walking For senior women who’ve led relatively sedentary lifestyles, Rohm Young suggests starting a cardio regimen by simply walking around your yard, apartment complex and/or neighborhood. Start slow and work up from there.

“Just get outdoors and go for a walk,” she advises. “Start

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with 10 minutes and work up to 30 minutes per day. If you don’t live in a safe neighborhood and you are still driving, go to a nearby mall and walk down the aisles. Find or create a walking club or walking support group or a recreation program in your city and get involved.”

For increased intensity, try walking while carrying light, three- to five-pound hand weights, which can further enhance the cardiovascular effectiveness of your workout.

Light jogging When you are

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ready to begin jogging, start by warming up for 10 minutes with a steady walk. From there, try lightly jogging for three to five minutes at a time, then rest. Over time, try to work up to a 20-minute light jog.

Make sure to have sturdy athletic shoes for this activity.

Strength training Muscle strengthening activities are recommended at least two days each week, according to the AHA. Try these at home to improve your physical strength.

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Leg exercises Sit erect in a chair with your feet firmly planted on the ground, shoulderwidth apart. Hold onto the sides of the chair seat for support if you need to. Lift one leg off the floor until your knee is straight and hold that position for a few seconds. Then, return that leg to the starting position with both feet on the ground. Repeat on the other side. Work up to eight repetitions on each side.

Arm raises Sit erect in a chair with your feet flat on the ground and arms

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by your sides, holding light weights (these can be soup cans if you don’t have dumbbells) in each hand.

Start by holding your arms straight down by your sides with your palms facing in.

Keep a small bend in your elbows and slowly lift both arms out and up until they are perpendicular to your body and parallel to the ground.

Hold for a second and slowly go down to the starting position. Pause and then repeat this exercise six to eight times.

Tricep extensions Sit erect in a chair with your feet flat on the ground and a light weight in your left hand. Bend your left elbow straight up next to your ear, so it is pointing to the ceiling. Use your right hand to support your left elbow and then slowly straighten your left arm to the ceiling. Hold this position for a second and then lower your forearm to the starting position. Do this six to eight times and then switch to your right side.

Abdominal exercises Abdominal strength is vital to a person’s overall health.

Strengthening exercises, such as seated knee lifts, can be done while sitting in a chair. Start by sitting erect with your feet on the ground.

Then, squeeze your abdominal muscles and simultaneously raise your feet off the ground together.

Hold for one second

and release. Try to build up to six reps of this exercise and hold for a little longer over time.

Balance exercises One of the best ways to increase your balance is by walking heel-to-toe.

Start by standing close to a wall for balance. Then walk by placing the heel of your right foot

directly in front of your left foot, stopping when it touches your right heel to your left toe. Switch feet and work up to taking at least six heel-to-toe steps.

Stretches Without stretching, our muscles tend to contract and tense up, says Rohm Young. By participating in regular stretching sessions, elderly women

can decrease their likelihood of falling and remain flexible well into their later years.

“Stretch after you’ve exercised; you want your muscles to be warmed up,” she says. “If you go out and stretch ahead of time, you could end up getting injured or experiencing muscle soreness.”

Leg stretch Rohm Young recommends standing up straight with both feet on the ground.

Bend your left leg slightly and then lean your body left without falling over. Hold that stretch for a few seconds before doing the same on the other side. This stretch will lengthen your abductors.

Another great stretch is to stand up straight and put one foot in front of the other. When your feet are solidly in place, gently lean forward and then repeat on the other side.

“You should feel a stretch in the front leg and the back leg,” she says.

Chest stretch Sit up straight in a chair with your feet on the ground and your hands on your knees. Bring both of your arms up and clasp them gently behind your head. As you inhale, try moving your elbows back to the wall behind you. As you exhale, bring your arms back to your knees. Do this exercise three times and then rest.

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5 Steps to loving exercise

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e all know the benefits of regular physical activity – increased energy, better cardiovascular health, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke and looking more svelte. But about 80 percent of Americans don’t make exercise a regular habit, and, according to a recent American Heart Association website survey, 14 percent say they don’t like exercise. So how do you overcome an exercise aversion? Mercedes Carnethon, Ph.D., assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, has some tips to help you incorporate exercise into your life — and maybe even learn to like it.

Step 1 Exercise that suits you Find an exercise that best fits your personality, Dr. Carnethon said. If you are social person, do something that engages you socially — take a group exercise class, join a kickball team or walk with a group of friends. Or, if you prefer having time alone, walking or jogging solo might be a better fit for you. MyWalkingClub. org is the perfect way to connect with others who share your goals, lifestyles, schedules and hobbies.

Step 2 Make it a habit It takes about three weeks for something to become a habit, so give yourself time to create a regular routine. One way

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is to try to exercise around the same time each day.

“Exercise can become addictive in a positive way,” said Dr. Carnethon, who is also an American Heart Association volunteer. “Once it becomes a habit, you’ll notice when you aren’t doing something.”

Step 3 Build exercise into your lifestyle Be honest with yourself. If you don’t live close to a gym, it’s not going to become a habit for you. Likewise, if you are not a morning person, don’t plan on somehow getting up at the crack of dawn to make a boot camp class.

“The key is building activity into your lifestyle so it is not disruptive,” Dr.

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Carnethon said.

There are many ways to fit exercise into your life, and it doesn’t mean you have to make a big financial investment.

You can borrow exercise videos from the library or DVR an exercise program. Do weight or resistance training with items around your home (for example, use canned goods as light weights). Walking is great option, as well. The only investment is a good pair of shoes.

Step 4 Do bouts of exercise It’s OK to break up your physical activity into smaller segments, Dr. Carnethon said. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes a day of exercise most days, but if that sounds

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overwhelming, try three 10-minute workout sessions.

You could do a quick calisthenics routine when you wake up, take a brief walk after lunch at work and, if you commute with public transportation, get off a stop earlier and walk the rest of the way.

Step 5 Keep going If you miss a day or a workout, don’t worry about it. Everybody struggles once in a while. Just make sure you get back at it the next day.

“It doesn’t take too long to get back on track,” Dr. Carnethon said. “It’s easy to make something a habit again. You will see same benefits before. Any little bit you can fit in will show benefits.”

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Nutrition From grocery shopping to dining out, making smart decisions takes just one step. With so many options out there, balance and variety are key.

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9 Healthy substitutions for everyday foods

by Julia Rodack

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hen it comes to cooking and baking there are easy (and tasty) heart-healthy substitutions you can incorporate in your daily meal preparation.

Substituting new foods for your tried and true staples might feel foreign at first. (I’ve been there.) But if you stick with it you will start to notice positive reactions from your body and even learn to love the taste.

Here are nine heart-healthy substitutions to try.

1. Whole-wheat flour Instead of white, processed flour try to incorporate whole-wheat flour into your baking. Because whole grains, like whole-wheat products, contain the entire grain, they are more fibrous than their white counterparts — and more likely to keep you full throughout the day. But before you swap, be sure to check the recipe, as the ratio may need to be adjusted.

This substitution applies to bread and pastas as well.

Whole-wheat options at the grocery store have become more readily available, so next time you’re shopping be sure to explore your market’s selec-

tion. Not sure your family will embrace whole-wheat pasta or flour? Mix it in with white to get them acclimated, suggests Dr. Janet Brill, nutrition expert and author of “Cholesterol Down” and “Prevent a Second Heart Attack”. Your family won’t even notice.

2. Unsweetened applesauce In many baking recipes, you can reduce the amount of saturated fat by substituting butter for fiber-filled, unsweetened applesauce — or any fruit puree — and canola oil, Brill said. (Butter can be replaced with half canola oil and half puree.) Still looking to cut back?

Brill suggests trying

ground flaxseeds in place of oil.

3. Greek yogurt Delicious on its own, Greek yogurt can wear many hats. An easy, heart-healthy swap?

Serve this naturally sour yogurt instead sour cream. You’ll need one small container of nonfat yogurt and a lemon.

Squeeze the lemon into the yogurt, stir and serve. This is an easy way to sneak digestion-aiding probiotics into your meals. Just be sure the yogurt you choose is all-natural, plain Greek — flavored and fruit-filled yogurts are full of extra sugars your body doesn’t need.

4. Avocado This green fruit

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gets a bad rap from time to time, but is actually very good for you. Yes, it has a high fat content and yes, you should eat it in moderation (as you should most things), but avocados are full of the fats your heart needs to stay healthy. Try subbing the cheese or mayonnaise on your sandwich for a serving of avocado. You’ll get the creamy goodness you’re craving while yours heart gets a healthy boost.

Don’t love avocado?

Another great alternative is hummus, says Brill.

5. Ground turkey For chili, pasta sauce and burgers, take a break from beef and try lean,

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ground turkey.

Reducing your consumption of red meat is a serious step in reducing your chances of heart diseases (or a recurrence). If you’re worried your family will fret, try the whole-wheat pasta trick and work on mixing it in over time.

6. Extra-virgin olive oil “This should be your main go-to fat for heart health,” said Brill. Used for sautéing and cooking, extravirgin olive oil is a tasty, heart-healthy substitution for butter. Olive oil taste and price can range drastically, so buy the highest quality you can afford. It must, however, wear

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the “extra-virgin” label, explains Brill. “It must be extra-virgin or it won’t contain the antioxidants that come with the cold pressing.”

Aside from the stovetop, extra-virgin olive oil is also a great replacement for creamy salad dressings. For an easy weeknight dressing mix balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a squeeze of a lemon, and salt and pepper. (A good ratio for balsamic to oil is 3:1.)

7. Dark leafy greens Heart-healthy greens like spinach, arugula, watercress and kale can be used in place of watery greens like iceberg lettuce and romaine, which lack

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in important nutrients. As always, acclimation is key to long-term success, so if you or your family isn’t ready to commit to the dark stuff try mixing different greens in with lettuces you are comfortable with.

8. Skim milk If dairy is a regular part of your diet, consider subbing your daily dose for skim milk or fat-free half and half. Reduced fat or skim milk can also be used in place of heavy cream and whole milk when it comes to baking. If it fits into your routine, Brill suggests substituting dairy entirely for plantbased milks like soy, almond and rice. Her rule of thumb: More

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plants, less animals.

9. Egg whites When it comes to baking, egg whites can generally replace the need for a whole egg. (But be sure to check your recipe as it can sometimes vary.)

The ratio tends to be two egg whites to one egg.

In addition to baking, eggs can play a large part in our everyday eating. Love hardboiled egg on your salad? Losing the yolk cuts your cholesterol intake without cutting the flavor. If you’re concerned about waste, consider buying the egg white cartons for easy omelets and cooking.

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Worth the weight?

The benefits of maintaining a healthy weight go far beyond improved energy and smaller clothing sizes. By losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight, you are also likely to enjoy these quality-of-life factors too.

• Fewer joint and muscle pains • Greater ability to join in desired activities • Better regulation of bodily fluids and blood pressure • Reduced burden on your heart and circulatory system • Better sleep patterns • More effective metabolism of sugars and carbohydrates • Reduced risk for heart disease and certain cancers Excess weight increases the heart’s work. It also raises blood pressure and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It can make diabetes more likely to develop, too. Losing as few as 10 pounds can lower your heart disease risk.

BMI stands for Body Mass Index This is a numerical value of your weight in relation to your height. BMIs are good indicators of healthy or unhealthy weights for adult men and women, regardless of body frame size. A BMI of less than 25 kg/m² indicates a healthy weight. A BMI of less than 18.5 kg/m² is considered underweight. A BMI between 25 kg/m² and 29.9 kg/m² is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 kg/m² or higher indicates obesity.

To calculate your BMI: A free, easy to use calculator is available at www.heart.org.

Select a status option if you’re under 20 years old, highly trained/athletic, pregnant or breastfeeding. If one of these situations applies to you, the BMI may not be the best method of assessing your risk from overweight or obesity.

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Heart-healthy foods 10 Foods you should buy for quick, heart-healthy meals

by Julia Rodack

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eeknight cooking can quickly start to feel like a chore after a long day of family errands and work. Keeping the right staples on hand makes whipping up a heart-healthy meal for you and your family simple and painless. To be sure you’re never left wondering “What’s for dinner?,” nutritionist and American Heart Association volunteer Maribet Rivera-Brut suggests having on hand these 10 healthy foods:

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1. Leafy Greens Kale, spinach, and watercress are tasty dark greens that are easy to find and can be used in different ways for different recipes. Maribet explains that leafy greens are also a great source of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

2. Whole-Wheat Products For pasta, breads and crackers, consider making the switch to whole wheat, which provides more fiber than white flour and is more filling.

“Make sure it’s 100 percent whole wheat, so you can enjoy the full benefits of the fiber and antioxidants,” Maribet says.

3. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil A tasty alternative to butter, this oil is a common, healthy-fat used around the world, Maribet explains. “It promotes healthy cholesterol levels, protecting you from a heart attack or stroke.”

4. Tomatoes This versatile vegetable — or if you consider it a fruit — is a great addition to any shopping list. Not only can you add them to most dishes (think salads, pastas, eggs and sandwiches), tomatoes are high in antioxidants.

5. Fish Heart-healthy fish, like salmon and tuna, are high in omega-3s, which have consistently been proven to benefit the heart, Maribet said. When you can, choose wild caught fish over farmed or frozen to be sure you are getting the most health benefits.

6. Nuts Great for snacking and eating on-the-go, salads, and a host of other things, heart-healthy nuts, like almonds and walnuts are a musthave staple. “Almond and walnuts have been proven to lower the levels of total cholesterol and increase good cholesterol,” Maribet says.

She recommends being mindful of your portion size — stick to one-fourth of a cup, which is about 180 calories.

7. Grapes This tiny fruit packs big benefits. High in antioxidants, grapes also have phytochemicals, which provide anti-inflammatory effects that help the cardiovascular system, explains Maribet. Serve them fresh on salads, by themselves or with low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt.

8. Berries Appealing to the whole family, berries are rich in fiber and antioxidants. Plan to buy them seasonally to ensure they are at peak flavor.

9. Beans Canned or dried, beans are high in fiber, fat free, and rich in calcium, iron and protein, Maribet explains. Use this great, versatile ingredient to make everything from hummus to chili.

10. Quinoa This super food is a great source of protein, which is also rich in fiber. This grain is perfect on top of salads, mixed with bean and tofu, or mixed with vegetables.

Learn more ways to live healthy on Goredforwomen.org.

Food for thought Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated and trans fat.

Select fat-free, 1 percent fat, and low-fat dairy products.

Minimize the amount of foods you consume that are high in dietary cholesterol. Try eating less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol each day.

Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars.

Try eating more foods that are low in salt and sodium.

Drink alcohol in moderation.

Watch those portion sizes.

Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Recipe tips: berries, beans, broccoli

by Katie Morell

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n addition to regular exercise, a diet filled with berries, beans and broccoli can provide plenty of heart-healthy nutrients in your dietary pattern and help keep your cholesterol down. Here, Patricia Bannan, MS, RD, a frequent CNN and Today Show contributor and author of “Eat Right When Time is Tight”, offers easy recipes for each ingredient.

Berries

Buy a bag of frozen berries (unless fresh ones are in season) and incorporate them into your breakfast.

Oatmeal with Berries Recipe (Serves 2; ½ cup per serving) ½ cup frozen berries, thawed, no sugar added 2 packets of lower sugar oatmeal 2 tbsp chopped unsalted almonds “Prepare your oatmeal according to instructions and toss the thawed berries into the bowl while heating to get them up to temperature,” says Bannan. “Top with a small handful of chopped almonds for a hearthealthy crunch.”

Beans

Grab a bag of dry beans during your next trip to the grocery store. These help control excess sodium often found in canned beans and can still be easy to prepare, but may take some time to cook so plan ahead. Bannan recommends incorporating them into a simple bean salad.

Garbanzo Bean Salad Recipe (Serves 2; 1 cup per serving) 1 cup of garbanzo beans (if canned, choose low-sodium and rinse first)

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1 cup halved grape tomatoes 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp chopped parsley 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar Sprinkle of pepper Squeeze of lemon juice “Toss all of these ingredients into a bowl for a quick and easy side dish or throw them into a whole-grain pita or wrap for lunch on the go,” suggests Bannan.

Broccoli

Instead of steaming, cook your broccoli in a stir-fry.

Vegetable Stir-Fry Recipe (Serves 2; 1 cup per serving, cooked) 1 cup green bell pepper, cut into slice 1 cup broccoli, broken into florets ½ onion, cut into large chunks 1 cup sliced carrots 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp minced fresh ginger (optional) ½ cup soy sauce “Heat 1-2 tbsp of sesame oil in a saucepan and add vegetables until soft, but crisp,” recommends Bannan. “Season with ½-cup low-sodium soy sauce to taste.”

Learn more heart-healthy cooking tips on Goredforwomen.org.

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Stress

Everyday stress and how it’s managed makes a difference in short and long term health. Learn how stress affects your body and ways to manage it.

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What is stress management?

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ver notice that a good laugh has a way of lightening your burdens?

Or maybe you’ve experienced a scenario like one of these. Your day feels completely stressful and overwhelming, but then you coach yourself to step away from the frenzy, collect your thoughts, make a list of what’s going on– prioritizing what’s important. Has your list ever helped you discover that perhaps your day is more manageable than it seemed?

Or maybe you usually go walking with a friend before you start your work day. This week seems entirely too busy and stressful to fit in such “frivolities.” But you decide that instead of skipping it, you’ll go ahead and walk. Afterwards, you notice it was good for you physically, socially, and emotionally and upon sitting down for the work day, you actually feel more able to attack the list of tasks.

Learn to “pump the brakes” on stress

Laughter, physical activity and thought-sorting can be effective stress-management techniques. But something as simple as a short break can too. Dr. Robert Sapolsky, stress expert and neurology professor at Stanford, says we all need to commit to regular stress management and learn how to “pump the brakes” on stress without loading it onto other people. Let’s talk about why and how.

The purpose of stress

Emotions are signals to help us recognize problems. Stress hormones help us fight-or-flee when we are in danger. But our body’s stress response can become a problem when it constantly signals danger about issues that aren’t necessarily a threat, or it grows to the point of overwhelming our health, well-being or clear thinking.

Why practice stress management?

Your mind deserves better than to be loaded down with the neverending job of worrying! Some stress may lead to actual problem-solving, but a lot of our stress is unnecessary and even harmful. Research is clear that stressed brains do not operate the same way as non-stressed brains.

John Medina, Ph.D., director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research at Seattle Pacific University, says creativity, productivity, motivation and sometimes even your immune system will all suffer under stress.

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How do we learn to manage our stress?

Step 1 Awareness!

Learn about your “low zone.”

Stress has a way of becoming chronic as the worries of everyday living weigh us down. Or perhaps you’ve become accustomed to stress in your life, and you allow whatever is currently the most stressful problem to dictate what you will do each day. But everyone needs pleasure, productivity and creativity. Chronic stress robs us of these.

Where do you put yourself now?

How do you know when you’ve passed the moderate point? Identify for yourself the small changes you can detect in your mood as you move up the continuum. This may take a few days of observing yourself, but if you are like most people, (and chances are good that you are!) your stress level will climb in a predictable pattern. If you take time to learn your emotional cues, you can learn to regulate your stress so that you spend more of your time in the “low zone” (at numbers 1-5).

Clearly some people have more stressful environments than others, and those people will likely pay a toll for it unless they learn to manage stress and improve their quality of life. For example, the stress of becoming a caregiver often results in health difficulties and emotional health challenges. If you are

1 I’m creatively and cheerfully engaged in life.

2 I’m relaxed and expect to stay this way.

3-4 I can handle stress and think of positive solutions to challenges.

a caregiver, it’s especially important that you learn stress-management skills so that you can keep yourself in the “low zone,” find ways to enjoy your life and allow your caregiving to have moments of satisfaction and joy.

Step 2 Learn to live in the low zone

Once you’ve passed the mid-zone mark, it’s time to take a stress-management moment. Maybe that means call a friend, take a short 5 minute walk outdoors, remind yourself of what you can and cannot change or keep a funny book on hand that you can visit when you need a laugh.

Whatever works best for you, take the time to bring your stress level back closer to the “low zone.” Notice what happens to your body and mind when you take these breaks.

The benefits of low-zone living

The benefits of low zone living are plentiful! You’re more creative, more alive, and more able to enjoy small moments of happiness. Furthermore, you reserve your “high zone stress responses” for times when it’s more appropriate. When life and death are not on the line, we do not need charttopping emotional responses. Learn to enjoy the gifts of life and put aside the stresses whenever we can.

6-7 I’m moderately irritable, anxious or overwhelmed. Stresses feel burdensome.

8 My problems seem unsolvable. Many things are irritating or upsetting me.

The low-stress zone

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9 Help! I’m about to lose it!

10 I have chart-topping negative emotions

The high-stress zone

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How stress affects you

How do you respond?

Common responses to stress are listed below. Think about how stress affects you.

When you are under stress, do any of these behaviors apply to you?

Aches and Pains*

Headache Backache Neck ache Stomach ache Tight muscles Clenched jaw Energy level and sleep* Feeling tired without a good reason Trouble sleeping

Feelings

Anxiety Anger Depression Helplessness Out of control Tense

I eat to calm down.

I speak and eat very fast.

I drink alcohol or smoke to calm down.

I rush around but do not get much done.

I work too much.

I delay doing the things I need to do.

I sleep too little, too much or both.

I slow down.

I try to do too many things at once.

Engaging in even one of these behaviors may mean that you are not dealing with stress as well as you could.

Other Emotional Signs Easily irritated Impatient Forgetful

*Some physical signs of stress may be caused by your medical condition or by medicines you take. If you aren’t sure what’s causing your physical symptoms, ask your doctor if stress might be the cause.

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