What stress does

Marilyn Bedford tells me that the Tulsa World published its usual "in and out" lists for 2006. Now check this out: Meditation is "in". Multi-tasking is "out". That makes sense to me. Multi-tasking is a great way to put yourself under unnecessary stress. In case you've forgotten, here's what stress does to your body:

* Heart and blood vessels: Stress hormones increase the heart rate and make you more susceptible to developing blood clots. Long-term stress strains the heart and can raise blood pressure, according to Consumer Health Interactive (now Caremark).

* Immune system: some germ-fighting cells shut down during times of stress, making you vulnerable to colds and respiratory infections.

* Brain: Stress can impair short-term memory and make it difficult to concentrate. Ongoing stress can also lead to anxiety, depression, increased anger or irritability, sadness, and frequent mood swings.

* Digestive system: Your intestines can become irritated, leading to stomachaches, diarrhea, and constipation. Stress may also be a factor in irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and peptic ulcer disease.

The above list was published in Health News, the newsletter of the Episcopal Church Medical Trust.

And according to The Lancet, "prolonged stress doubles the risk of having a heart attack. In fact, the risk from prolonged stress is the same as from smoking."

Give yourself a wonderful present for the new year. Get serious about your meditation. Come take the Foundations course at the Center again if you need a refresher or read one of the wonderful books on meditation that I've quoted here on this site. Consider coming to daily sittings and make a real commitment to ongoing class. If you live outside the Tulsa area, go on and make an effort to find out where meditation groups meet in your area. Your health will thank you.