Killed by Stress

You know what is crazy…. in Asia people are actually falling over dead from being overworked.  It’s called an occupational sudden mortality.  The term in Japanese is called Karōshi, which is basically a heart attack or stroke due to stress.  CRAZY!! Last week I talked about the effects of stress in our lives.  In the SEAL Teams, our deployment cycle is the shortest of anyone in the Navy, because the stress of being a SEAL accumulates quickly and the mental/physical toll it takes is significant.  In the civilian world things are still the same.  The stresses of the holidays, our families and jobs wears on us mentally, physically and emotionally.  As human beings we need to rest and take breaks.  This week, try to incorporate daily and weekly times to take a few 5 minute breaks.  Turn off the mental “to do” list, breath deeply (from your stomach not your chest) a few times and relax.  Your life could depend on it.