Today's world seems to have an ever-increasing amount of stress. Most of us don't even realize how much stress we are in. There are pressures from work, family, general relationships and financial areas of our lives. Science has shown us that we pay a serious price for our stress. Eighty percent of all diseases are now believed to be stress-related. A 20 year study conducted by the University of London School of Medicine has determined that unmanaged mental and emotional reactions to stress present a more dangerous risk factor for cancer and heart disease than cigarette smoking or eating high cholesterol foods.

The point to note is, that is not so much the events in our lives that is the problem, it's our response to those events that leads to unmanaged stress.

So how do you manage the stress? Well, there are many possible ways to help you deal with stress e.g. meditation, visualization, relaxation tapes, exercise, music and counseling to list a few. These can all help but they have one major drawback. They all take time and can rarely be applied when they are needed. To give an example. It's hard to meditate when caught in traffic, you can't play a relaxation tape in the middle of the board meeting, nor can you practice yoga when faced with an angry customer. There is however a scientifically proven technique that has been developed by the Heartmath Institute. It is simple to learn, can be used anywhere at any time, is very effective and produces measurable benefits in minutes. This technique is commonly known as the Freeze-Frame technique. The following are some references to its effectiveness:

"Freeze-Frame is an excellent guide to why's and how's. It is phrased in a beautifully simply way that I enjoyed immensely". 

William A. Tiller, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Materials Science and engineering, Stanford University.

"Freeze-frame and the techniques taught by the Institute of HeartMath on the cutting edge. Their practice bestows confidence that you can manage any situation, whether personal or professional."

Alan Watkins, M. D., Research Fellow, Department of Medicine, Southampton University, England.

The core of the system is to use joyous, peaceful imagery while focusing on your heart. Research shows that this process can smooth out and improve the focus of the electrical activity of the heart. In this state the relaxed efficient heart beat signals have a harmonizing effect on the breathing and the nervous system which rapidly leads to a reduction of the negative effects of stress.

If you're interested in learning how to control stress, improve your health and make better decisions under pressure then the Freeze-frame technologies are a modern tool that do just that. The Institute of Heartmath is a nonprofit organization that can provide more information.