How to Gain Control Over Stress
by Robert Warren Hess
If you are a cancer survivor, you know about stress and the monkey that you just can’t quite get off your back. If you are the caregiver for a cancer survivor, you almost surely are dealing with the same level of stress.
Research shows that chronic stress reduces the effectiveness of the body’s immune system, which reduces the body’s ability to deal with illness, including cancer.
One of the best ways to manage stress is through meditation. I’ve been practicing meditation off and on for the past 12 years since my treatment for prostate cancer. What kept me from being consistent was the lack of a way to measure my actual progress. I could set goals but I had no way to know if or when I reached them. Until Muse!
Visualizing My Stress
This is an actual report from my Muse headband this past February. I did this session late at night and I thought I was quite calm but, as you can see, my brain was still pretty active.
I’m a data guy and I love to track trends. That’s why I create ProstateTracker, so guys can track their PSA test values and see if their prostate cancer risk is increasing.
I’ve come to really like my Muse. To be honest, I’m so busy I had to put it on my daily checklist to get it done and I usually only manage a 7 minute session. But I’ve come to love those 7 minutes. They’re mine and I don’t have to think of anything. Just a few minutes seeking Serenity.
And, I’ll be talking more about Serenity in the future.
My Initial Muse Evaluation
- I love the data
- It shows me how stressed I am
- It gives me a tool to help me control that stress
- It serves an an oasis during my very busy days
- If you’re a cancer survivor or caregiver, I suggest you pop over to Choose Muse and explore this device
Question
Do you use meditation to help control any chronic disease and what has been your experience?