HUMAN NECK ANATOMY

Just then, my six-year old daughter Olivia marched into the kitchen wearing her snow pants, coat and gloves and bravely announced that she was going into the snow on the back deck to knock down and collect icicles. Ahhh...I relaxed. A legitimate distraction to put off the task at mind! Enjoying her enthusiasm and purposefulness as she made her way through the hip-deep snow, I watched her through the window with fascination for almost a half hour as she experimented with brooms, rakes and snowballs to see what was the best way to (safely) knock down these winter jewels. This was what Saturdays in January were made for! Then it hit me. And the anxiousness I had been feeling was completely gone.

The human brain is an amazing work of art. The result of millions of years of evolution and refinement, it has allowed mankind to become the master of its universe and truly the architect of its own future. You would think that with such a precious gift sitting between our ears, we would do a better job taking care of it. But we don't (most of us, at least). The problem is that, as our species has evolved and civilizations and cultures have flourished, we have created functional environments that not only under-utilize, but are actually damaging this precious wonder of biology. The evidence (at least in the U.S.)? An almost chronic state of stress for many adults. The outcome? An increasingly unhealthy (and unhappy, as new polls indicate) population.

In small doses, stress is actually a good thing that evolved out of our quest for survival. It is the brain's biological response to perceived danger and allows us to either confront or steer clear of threats to either our physical or emotional safety. But in large and sustained doses, stress floods the entire body with cortisol and adrenaline, two chemical compounds that literally wreak havoc on every other system in our anatomy. Left unchecked, stress compromises our immune system, robs us of precious sleep, hinders our ability to self-regulate unhealthy (and anti-social) behaviors and can trigger bouts of depression.

So who's responsible for our stress? Is it the kids or other family members? Is it the economy, a job loss, or the long hours we need to work to keep our job? Is it a sick parent or loved one? Is it our demeaning boss or a rude customer service rep? Nope. The answer is as uncomfortable as it is simple. We are. Stress is the result of our perception and/or anticipation of events and activities going on around us. And since we are the ones who create our own stress, we are the only ones who can moderate (if not eliminate) it.

Here are a few suggestions for minimizing stress and making more room for being happy in the new year:

1. Nip stress in the bud by changing the way you think. The term "meta-cognition" literally means thinking about thinking, and human beings are the only species (that we know of) capable of it. So we might as well use this evolutionary adaptation to our advantage. The next time you catch yourself worrying about what you're afraid will happen (usually the worst possible outcome), refocus on what you WANT to happen and what you CAN do to get there. Thinking positively is a skill that becomes a habit, and there are very few that are more important than this one.

2. Re-establish boundaries between work and personal life. If you are at the point where your level of connectedness to your job is consistently compromising your ability to take care of the other areas of your life that are important (family, relationships, health, etc.), it's time to take out the chalk and re-define where work stops and living begins. While we live in an age where communication technology allows 24/7 access to us, too much of a "good thing" is almost always bad. While there is a time and place for flexibility, consistently working to the point where we having nothing left for everyone else results in resentment, lower creativity and ultimately lower productivity.

3. Get up and move. Research from a myriad of academic institutions and hospitals is unanimous. Self-directed (vs. forced) physical activity not only promotes good cardio-vascular health, it also improves cognitive functions within the brain and helps dissipate cortisol and adrenaline from our systems. When you consider that our prehistoric ancestors walked an average 10-17 miles a day in search of food, it makes sense. In his fabulous book, Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Thriving at Work Home and School, researcher and author John Medina points out that our brains actually evolved to do their very best work while we are on the move.

4. Stop, close your eyes and breathe. You know the symptoms. Tight shoulders, shallow breathing, maybe even the beginnings of a slight headache at the base of your skull. You've had your nose to the wheel for several hours straight and your productivity is actually slowing down. As your work space permits, take a 3-5 minute stretch break to stand, rotate and flex the muscles in your neck, shoulders and rest of your upper body. Even this simple technique increases the flow of oxygen to your muscles and brain enough to both dampen negative feelings and give you a little boost in energy.

5. Eat dark chocolate! Yes, it's true. A recent clinical trial published online in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research found that eating a bit of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of cortisol in people who were typically more prone to feeling stressed. According to the researchers, Francois-Pierre Martin, Sunil Kochhar and colleagues, "The study provides strong evidence that a daily consumption of 40 grams [1.4 ounces] during a period of 2 weeks is sufficient to modify the metabolism of healthy human volunteers," the scientists said in a press release. I know my wife and daughter will be thrilled!

Stress is a biological condition that has been with us for a long time and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. The trick is to let it do its job at protecting us, but not let it compromise our long-term well-being and health. At the end of the day, each of us is responsible for managing our own perceptions and responses. Given what's at stake, it's important that we don't wait for someone else to do it for us.