February was declared the ‘National Heart Month’ not just because Valentine’s Day falls within the month, but more importantly, to remind us about the importance of a healthy heart. You see, heart disease is the number one cause of death among both men and women in the United States. More than 2,000 Americans die of heart disease everyday. That’s about two people every minute.
Heart attacks are caused by high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, and many other factors. But experts also point to mental stress as a big contributor to ‘unmasking’ an otherwise latent heart disease. Negative emotions like frustration, anger, and even intense boredom can actually trigger heart attacks in someone who is at risk.
Luckily, there are many things we can do to significantly lower our risk of getting heart disease. We can swear off smoking, start eating right, and actually find time to exercise, but I prefer to start with the simplest technique – using an anti-stress ball. I have several of them in all shapes and colors lined up on my desk, all perky and just instantly comforting. I slip one in my pocket so that I could easily squeeze it every time I feel stress kicking in.
Anti-stress balls are designed to soften your hand wrist muscles, increase blood circulation and therefore help the heart. But aside from that they’re just cute, like this one from our ‘stress relievers’ section:
Computer-shaped squeezable foam rubber
Sometimes, the simplest solutions really work best.
– Josh