EvenMORE For You

Hearts and Minds at Work

In its wisdom, the heart operates through cycles of contraction and relaxation, a balance crucial for sustaining life. Yet, despite scientific descriptions, we have felt the searing pain of death, betrayal, and love's heartbreak.

Our heart's rhythmic dance—systole and diastole—serves as a lifeline and a poignant metaphor for the emotional landscapes we navigate. Yet, we often discount the heart through separation; it's common to hear, "Listen to your heart, but use your head.”

Work is different today. While some challenges remain timeless, thirty years ago, companies had more hierarchy, with less emphasis on employee participation in decision-making - leading to feelings of disempowerment, disengagement, lying, and the BS that comes with brown-nosing.

Of course, whatever we resist persists - these repressed emotions have turned into what the surgeon has named an epidemic of loneliness, stress, anger, polarization, and isolation—all symptoms of the heart.

Emotional feelings of disconnection, anger, or sadness can directly impact cardiovascular health. Instances of turmoil, such as anger and hostility, provoke a stress response and lead to long-term harm, including the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Emotional distress can cause myocardial ischemia, a condition where the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen, exacerbating heart disease risks. This biological response underscores the literal heartache supporting the adage that one can be "worried to death.”

We often focus on physical things like exercise and diet when discussing heart health. But scientists have found something amazing—our feelings, the stuff we carry in our hearts and minds, play a huge role too. Given that adults spend approximately 57% of their waking lives at work, the quality of our relationships is paramount.

So, how can we nurture our hearts through work? Initiating heart-based interactions, where communication is grounded in honesty, saying what's on your heart and mind, asking for help, and expressing gratitude can foster positive connections.

Conscious or unconscious, we have a relationship to everything we encounter in our lives. Our approach to those relationships can enhance our emotional well-being and support cardiovascular health. When we architect bridges, not walls, with a genuine interest in our relationships - we find meaning in our work and see how our efforts make a difference; it's a game-changer. Our work becomes a source of joy and satisfaction, nourishing our hearts in ways we might not even realize.

Women and Heart Wellness

We Care About You! This Month and Every Month

Many women are surprised to learn that heart disease is the most dangerous threat to their health even though women are just as likely as men to get heart disease.

With women making up a large percentage of our Crossroads team, heart health is very much top-of-mind at all times not just during February, the American Heart Association’s American Heart Month.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 60 million (44 percent) of women in the United States are living with some form of heart disease, making it the leading cause of death for women.

Women’s symptoms and conditions are often different than men’s. So it’s important to know the signs of heart disease specific to women:

• Shortness of breath, most commonly while at rest, or even while sleeping, which may come on suddenly and wake you up.
• Persistent coughing or wheezing, especially coughing that produces white or pink blood-tinged mucus.
• Swelling in the feet, ankles, legs or abdomen or quick weight gain.
• Tiredness and fatigue during everyday activities such as shopping, climbing stairs, carrying groceries or walking.
• Lack of appetite, nausea or a feeling of being full or sick to your stomach.
• Confusion, impaired thinking, memory loss and feelings of disorientation.
• Increased heart rate or heart palpitations, which feel like your heart is racing or throbbing.

Crossroads’ health benefits cover annual wellness checks and we encourage you to stay current with your appointments. If you have more than one of these symptoms, report them to your healthcare professional and request a cardiac evaluation. The risks of a heart attack are too great to ignore.

So, what can women do to improve their cardiac health? The most important thing is managing existing medical conditions that increase your risk of heart disease.

Included are high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and an unhealthy diet.

Finally, don’t discount the role of stress, sleep and mental well-being, which also influence heart health.

Women and Heart Disease Fast Facts

• Heart disease is the number one cause of death for women in the United States, accounting for one in five female deaths.
• Women have a poorer survival rather than men in years after their first heart attack.
• A women’s heart attack often occurs while she’s at rest.

Play it Safe in Parking Lots

Some Crossroads team members have shared with their managers that they don’t always feel safe in our parking lots when leaving or arriving at the office in the dark.

Your safety and security are our number one priority. Please continue to share your concerns with your managers in real time.

We know that after dark, parking lots can get creepy with shadows and limited visibility. The absence of bystanders and poor lighting can make them opportunistic crime scenes.

Before venturing to your car in a parking lot at night, take these 3 precautions:

1. Let someone know your expected arrival time and where you’ll be.
2. Limit how much you’re carrying so you can move as quickly as possible.
3. Make sure your phone is charged and easy to retrieve and always have emergency contacts pre-set in your phone.

While walking to the parking lot, avoid looking at your phone and don’t listen to music on earbuds. Your full attention should be on your surroundings. Walk briskly and purposefully with confidence. Avoid shortcuts through secluded areas, sticking to well-lit, populated paths, if possible.

Trust your instincts in an emergency. If you sense danger or feel threatened, don’t hesitate to:

• Return to a safe place.
• Ask for help.
• Make noise to attract attention.

Remember, while the responsibility for safety is never solely the responsibility of the individual, these steps can reduce risks.