4 solutions to prevent stress and cardiovascular disease
By 2023, cardiovascular disease will account for 28% of deaths in Switzerland, followed by cancer with 24%. These pathologies highlight worrying public health trends. They have common triggers, including stress, which plays an underestimated but critical role.
One of the causes:
Stress, whether acute or chronic, has direct physiological effects on the body that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease:
- Acute stress : an intense or sudden emotion triggers a rapid rise in blood pressure and an acceleration of the heart rate.
- Chronic stress : prolonged exposure to sources of stress (workload, conflict, uncertainty, mental overload) causes cumulative damage to the cardiovascular system.
These mechanisms, which are often invisible, manifest themselves as :
- Increased blood cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Excessive blood clotting
- Accumulation of fats on arterial walls.
Stress also contributes to harmful behaviors such as smoking, unbalanced diet and physical inactivity.
Solution: Take action every day at work
1. Integrate physical activity into the workplace :
- Organize physical activities at work : yoga classes, group walks, sports challenges.
- Introduce active breaks: encourage employees to walk, breathe consciously, stretch or do light exercise during the day.
2. Learn to manage stress with relaxation workshops :
- Offer sophrology or guided meditation sessions. These methods help teams to refocus, breathe easier and regulate their heart rate.
- Organize self-massage workshops to introduce simple gestures to relieve muscular tension.
- Set up chair massage sessions. These massages are performed on a specially designed ergonomic chair. They reduce muscular tension, relieve mental stress and improve blood circulation. What’s more, these sessions can be scheduled throughout the day, offering employees moments of relaxation and recuperation.
3. Promote sleep for better recovery :
Actions at work :
- Raise employee awareness of the importance of sleep through conferences.
- Provide nap chairs for rapid recovery during the day. The EnergyPod, for example, offers an ergonomic space for short, effective Power Nap. A 15-20 minute micro-nap can reduce fatigue, improve concentration and reduce the effects of stress on the body. Installing these chairs in quiet rooms or relaxation zones promotes mental and physical recovery for employees.
Practical tips for the home :
- Encourage relaxation and avoid strenuous exercise in the evening: prefer quiet activities such as reading or meditation.
- Have a hot drink before bedtime: this helps, indirectly (by raising and then lowering body temperature), to stimulate the production of melatonin, which helps you fall asleep.
- Create a bedroom conducive to sleep: eliminate all sources of light, air the room regularly and maintain a cool temperature.
- Limit stimulants : exclude caffeine (coffee and tea) from late afternoon onwards.
4. Promoting a balanced diet :
- Sessions with a nutritionist : Organizing workshops led by nutrition professionals helps employees understand the basics of a healthy, balanced diet. These sessions can cover a variety of topics, such as day-to-day meal management, planning meals and snacks, and adapting diets to different needs (stress, fatigue, physical or shift work, etc.).
- Culinary demonstrations : Organize hands-on workshops where employees learn how to prepare quick, healthy meals using readily available ingredients, including recipes that promote cardiovascular health.
Conclusion :
The figures for 2023 are a reminder of the urgent need to take action in the face of cardiovascular disease and stress. Thanks to concrete initiatives such as micro-naps, physical activities or relaxation workshops, companies can play a major role in prevention. By investing in their employees’ well-being, they not only reduce health risks, but also foster a more fulfilling working environment.