HeartMath Tecnologia em Negócios

O stress ocupacional é omnipresente e invasora. Em 1992 Relatório das Nações Unidas, "o estresse no trabalho" foi citado como "a doença do século 20." Uma pesquisa recente revelou que 75% dos norte-americanos descrevem seu trabalho como estressante, com mais de um em cada quatro relatórios experimentando altos níveis de estresse 'quase todos os dias. "Estima-se atualmente que 60% de todos os afastamentos do trabalho é causada por estresse, resultando em cerca de 1 milhão de pessoas a cada dia de trabalho ausente. Além disso, quase um quinto dos adultos empregados agora reconhecem que o estresse no local de trabalho os fez sair de um emprego.

As empresas americanas pagam o preço de trabalhadores que sofrem de stress relacionado ao trabalho. As estimativas recentes são de que o estresse no trabalho os custos dos empregadores mais de US $ 200 bilhões por ano em absenteísmo, atrasos, burnout, baixa produtividade, alta rotatividade, a compensação do trabalhador e os custos de seguro médico. Para colocar isto em perspectiva, este valor ascende a mais de 10 vezes o custo de todas as greves combinadas, ou os lucros soma total das 500 empresas da Fortune.

Acelerar o estresse é claramente tendo seus efeitos sobre a saúde dos trabalhadores. Dr. J. Paul Roach, presidente do American Institute of Stress, relata que 75 a 90% de todas as visitas saudável resultado prestadores de distúrbios relacionados ao estresse. Entre os principais executivos do país, estimados em US $ 10 a $ 20 bilhões são perdidos a cada ano através de ausência de internação e morte prematura, em grande parte um resultado direto do estresse. Vários estudos de longo prazo envolvendo milhares de trabalhadores já demonstraram que pessoas que percebem que têm pouco controle sobre seus trabalhos têm aumentado significativamente a probabilidade de desenvolver doença cardíaca, esta associação é independente de fatores de risco coronariano convencionais, incluindo o tabagismo e níveis elevados de colesterol.

Tornou-se cada vez mais claro a partir de estudos destes e de outros que a principal fonte de stress para adultos é de seu trabalho. O problema do estresse no trabalho se tornou tão onipresente e tão grave que é agora descrito pela Organização das Nações Unidas, Organização Internacional do Trabalho como uma "epidemia global", sem ocupação e nenhuma nação provando ser isenta. Nesta era da informação, "o mundo enfrenta, por um lado, inúmeros avanços tecnológicos que prometem inédito de conveniências para tornar a vida mais fácil para todos, e por outro, a dura realidade de uma força de trabalho que as experiências de níveis crescentes de pessoal desequilíbrio.

O stress de trabalho empregadores custos mais de $ 200 bilhões por ano em absenteísmo, atrasos, burnout, baixa produtividade, alta rotatividade, a remuneração do trabalhador e os custos de seguro médico.

Conselho Nacional de Segurança, 1995

Estima-se que 60% de todos os afastamentos do trabalho é causada por estresse.

C. Cooper & Payne R., eds. Causas, enfrentamento e conseqüências do estresse no trabalho. 1988

Um estudo recente mostrou que as percepções dos trabalhadores do clima psicológico no trabalho influenciou o envolvimento de trabalho, o esforço de trabalho eo desempenho profissional.

S. Brown et al. J Appl Psychol 1996; 81 (4)

Depressão, um problema comum entre os trabalhadores, os custos de os EUA 44 bilião dólares por ano em produtividade perdida.

Fundação Nacional para Pesquisa do Cérebro, 1999

A remuneração dos Trabalhadores da Califórnia determinou que o Instituto alega estresse no trabalho aumentou 700% 1979-1988.

Lehmer M. et al. J Environ Occup M.Ed. 1997, 39 (1)

Em uma análise recente de 3 anos de mais de 46 mil trabalhadores de seis UScompanies maior, depressão e estresse não gerenciado emergiram como os dois principais fatores de risco mais dispendiosa em termos de despesas médicas crescentes custos dos cuidados de saúde por 2-7 vezes mais do que fatores de risco físico tais como tabagismo, obesidade e hábitos de exercício pobres.

Goetzel R. et al. J Environ Occup M.Ed. 1998, 40 (10)

Uma pesquisa nacional conduzida pelo New York Business Group da Saúde revelou que cada funcionário que sofrem de estresse, ansiedade ou depressão é estimada para perder 16 dias de trabalho por ano, em comparação com uma média de 4-6 dias de trabalho perdidos por todos os funcionários.

New York Business Group da Saúde, 1990

Em um estudo com mais de 10.000 funcionários públicos, os trabalhadores que percebiam que tinham pouco controle sobre seus trabalhos tiveram quase duas vezes a probabilidade de desenvolver doenças coronárias, os trabalhadores com emprego controlo percebido elevado.

H. Bosma et al. British Medical Journal. 1997, 314 (7080)

Em uma pesquisa nacional de 1.305 adultos empregados, 13% relataram que eles ou os seus colegas haviam cometido um ato que poderia descrever-se como "raiva desk 'de estresse ou raiva, e quase um em cada cinco tinha sair de um emprego por causa do stress.

Caravana Opinion Research Corp Internacional / L.A. Times, 10 de dezembro de 2000

Sustentada emoção positiva tem sido correlacionada com inúmeros benefícios organizacionalmente relevantes, incluindo o aumento da flexibilidade cognitiva e na solução de problema inovadoras, melhorar a tomada de decisão, o estilo de negociação, criatividade, desempenho no trabalho e realização.

Staw B. et al. Organization Science 1994; 5 (1)



Limitações do Stress Management Muitas abordagens
Muitas abordagens de redução de estresse, como exercícios e programas de fitness, as técnicas de gerenciamento de tempo e de programas de educação nutricional, têm sido implementadas nos últimos dez a quinze anos para ajudar as pessoas a lidar com o aumento do estresse no trabalho. Apesar de alguns benefícios têm sido realizados a partir desses programas, a maioria não resultaram em resultados desejados, eo nível de estresse vivenciado pelos trabalhadores continuou a subir. A proporção de trabalhadores que relataram sentir-se "muito estressado" mais do que duplicou entre 1985 e 1990. Alarmante, pesquisas recentes revelam que o estresse no local de trabalho tem levado uma parcela significativa de adultos a chorar, gritar com os colegas de trabalho, perdem o sono, o consumo de álcool, equipamentos de trabalho ou danos de móveis, está doente, e até mesmo sair de seus empregos. Aumentar erupções de comportamento hostil, explosivo e violento no local de trabalho, descreveu recentemente como "raiva secretária," refletem um nível fundamental da turbulência emocional entre os trabalhadores que continua por resolver.



"A principal limitação da maioria das abordagens de redução de estresse agora em uso no local de trabalho é que eles não fornecem um meio de reduzir ou evitar o estresse no momento, como ele ocorre."

- Doc Childre


Embora as situações, encontros ou eventos pode parecer intrinsecamente "estressante", é verdadeiramente como um indivíduo percebe e reage a um evento que determina se ou não a resposta ao estresse é ativado. A principal limitação da maioria das abordagens de redução de estresse agora em uso é que, embora úteis, eles não têm como alvo a verdadeira fonte de estresse das pessoas, capacitando-os a transformar suas percepções e reações potencialmente "estressante" situações no momento em que ocorrem.



Gestão da Qualidade interna: Performance Humana Reforço e Eficácia Organizacional
Muitas empresas têm se concentrado em reengenharia de suas organizações para aumentar a produtividade ea linha de fundo. Na IHM, os pesquisadores perceberam que qualquer esforço para aproveitar toda a capacidade de uma organização teria que começar com a autonomização do indivíduo. Quando os indivíduos são auto-geridas internamente, que operam em seu maior potencial, possibilitando a organização para maximizar sua produtividade e qualidade. As ferramentas e técnicas HeartMath foram projetados especificamente para uso prático em meio a situações de ritmo acelerado da vida e muitas vezes imprevisíveis tensões. Seu propósito fundamental para capacitar as pessoas para transformar as reações de drenagem e de função com a máxima eficácia na mement - torna-os ideais para a configuração prática do trabalho, onde, como as estatísticas têm mostrado que eles são mais necessários. Para capacitar as pessoas para levar a uma maior coerência associada com a gestão focada coração da mente e das emoções na configuração prática do trabalho, IHM desenvolveu o Inner Quality Management Program, um programa de treinamento especialmente desenvolvido para as necessidades das empresas e organizações.



Programa IQM Módulos
Auto-Gestão Interna: Gestão do stress e as emoções individuais para maximizar a flexibilidade, criatividade e inteligência
Coerente de comunicação: reforçar a transferência de informações entre colegas de trabalho, com clientes ou constituintes, e dentro de si mesmo
Reforço de Clima Organizacional: Criando uma cultura de trabalho cuidar e saudável - que aumenta a produtividade ea eficácia
Processos estratégicos e Renovação: Operacionalização de ferramentas para construir uma organização coerente e auto-renovação


"Flexibilidade e adaptabilidade não acontecem apenas reagir rapidamente a novas informações. Eles surgem do equilíbrio mental e emocional, a falta de apego aos resultados específicos e cuidados colocando para si e para os outros como uma fisiologia operacional principal. Fisiologia flexível significa mais capacidade de resistência tempos de desafio ou uma tensão Ficar aberto -. emocionalmente -. garante flexibilidade interna "

- Childre Doc & Bruce Cryer (2000). Do Caos à Coerência


Muitas empresas descobriram que a era da informação exige um novo tipo de inteligência para as pessoas se classificar, filtrar e eficaz processo de um fluxo incrível de informações. Conforme estabelecido na introdução a este panorama, a incoerência criados por reações fisiológicas ao estresse não gerenciado pode realmente inibir o funcionamento do cérebro, reduzindo-nos a perspectiva extremamente limitada. Infelizmente, muitas pessoas se adaptaram tão bem às condições estressantes em torno deles que eles mal percebem o quão limitado as suas perspectivas são realmente. A premissa básica do Interior de Gestão da Qualidade (IQM), é que como as pessoas aprendem a manter um ambiente interno através de uma gestão coerente mental / emocional, o coração eo cérebro sincronizar e uma sinergia de inteligência intelectual, intuitivo e emocional ocorre. Isso amplia nossas perspectivas, permitindo-nos transformar a reações de estresse em respostas saudáveis e soluções eficazes. Torna-se rapidamente óbvio que os benefícios vão muito além da redução de stress. Estudos com muitas organizações principais revelaram que as ferramentas IQM, sinceramente praticada, permitem que os indivíduos a maximizar o seu equilíbrio pessoal, saúde física, inteligência e desempenho. Esses benefícios, estendida para a organização, levar a comunicação interpessoal melhorada e dinâmica da equipe, mais eficaz solução criativa e intuitiva de problemas, melhorar o planejamento ea tomada de decisão, uma maior atenção para os clientes e colegas de trabalho, eo excesso de atualização, aumentaram de todo o potencial da organização.



"Viver com o coração é um negócio - o negócio de cuidar de si e aos demais Entendendo isso vai nos levar além da idade da informação para a era da vida intuitiva.."

- Doc Childre


Os estudos de investigação a seguir demonstram o profundo impacto que o treinamento nas técnicas IQM teve sobre os funcionários de diversas organizações. As principais melhorias foram evidentes em alguns casos, após a prática de apenas seis semanas das ferramentas aprendidas. Os treinos foram muito eficazes em trabalhadores de todos os níveis de emprego, se um instrumento para ajudar as organizações diversas percorrer circunstâncias particularmente difíceis e transições estressantes com facilidade maior e dreno de energia minimizado. Os resultados indicam que a prática das técnicas não só tem melhorado significativamente o equilíbrio dos trabalhadores emocional e atitudes, mas também afetou sua saúde física, resultando em melhora da função autonômica, aumento da vitalidade e reduções em uma variedade de sintomas físicos de estresse (incluindo insônia, dores no corpo , indigestão e batimentos cardíacos rápidos). Notavelmente, estudos de caso mostram que os funcionários hipertensos que utilizaram as intervenções HeartMath foram capazes de restaurar os níveis de pressão arterial para valores normais, sem o auxílio de medicação. Além disso, as técnicas têm funcionários habilitados para aumentar significativamente a sua produtividade, clareza mental, criatividade e prazer do seu trabalho, os melhoramentos que impactaram profundamente a qualidade de trabalho ea eficácia global.



Uma abordagem de qualidade interna para reduzir o stress e melhorar a física e bem-estar emocional no trabalho
Barrios Bob-Choplin, Ph.D., Rollin McCraty, Ph.D. e Bruce Cryer, MA. Stress Medicine. 1997, 13 (3): 193-201.

Principais conclusões: Os funcionários da Motorola treinados nas técnicas IQM experimentou aumento contentamento, satisfação profissional, e comunicação e diminuiu a tensão, ansiedade, nervosismo e sintomas físicos de estresse seis meses após o programa de treinamento. A pressão arterial em indivíduos hipertensos foi restaurada a níveis normais e houve uma melhora geral da atividade autonômica.

Resumo: Este estudo de campo exploratório analisou o impacto do programa interno de Gestão da Qualidade (IQM) em uma amostra de gestores Motorola, engenheiros e operários. Ambas as medidas psicológicas e fisiológicas foram avaliadas. estresse emocional e as atitudes sociais, sintomas físicos de estresse e eficácia no trabalho foram medidos por uma pesquisa realizada antes e três e seis meses após o programa de treinamento. Autônomo atividade, medido pelo curto prazo de análise da variabilidade da freqüência cardíaca e pressão arterial também foram avaliadas antes do treinamento e, novamente, seis meses depois.

Os resultados mostraram que o cuidado, contentamento, satisfação no trabalho e de comunicação aumentou significativamente após o treinamento, enquanto a tensão, nervosismo, ansiedade e sintomas físicos de estresse diminuiu significativamente. Dos 18 gestores e engenheiros cuja pressão arterial foi medida, cinco foram classificados como estágio 1 ou fase 2 hipertensos antes do treinamento. O número de participantes com hipertensão arterial igual a 28% da amostra, que corresponde à média nacional de 28% da população com esta desordem. Nenhum destes indivíduos eram tratados por um médico ou tomar qualquer medicação para controlar sua hipertensão.

Ao final dos seis meses, todos os participantes foram classificados como normal ou normal alta. Maiores reduções na pressão sanguínea foram atingidos quando os participantes praticaram a técnica Freeze-Frame por cinco minutos após a leitura de repouso da pressão arterial foi tomada (figura 27). Houve também uma redução significativa na atividade autonômica em repouso no fim de seis meses.



Figura 27.
O gráfico ea tabela mostram os níveis de pressão arterial dos cinco funcionários da Motorola, que foram classificados como hipertensos no início do estudo de 6 meses. Depois de aprender e praticar a tecnologia IQM, todos esses indivíduos tinham leituras de pressão arterial que foi classificado como normal. Maiores reduções na pressão sanguínea foram atingidos quando os participantes utilizaram a técnica de Freeze-Frame por cinco minutos (ver tabela).





Figura 28.
Mostra a variação percentual em medidas psicológicas, os sintomas físicos de estresse e as medidas relacionadas com o trabalho para os executivos da Motorola e grupo de engenheiros de pré e pós treinamento IQM.





Figura 29.
Mostra a variação percentual em medidas psicológicas, os sintomas físicos de estresse e as medidas relacionadas com o trabalho para o grupo de trabalhadores da fábrica da Motorola formação IQM pré / pós.




Esse resultado apóia as mudanças psicológicas medidos, sugerindo uma mudança na linha de base dos participantes a um estado emocional de tensão e ansiedade diminuiu.

Que a melhoria nos sintomas físicos de estresse e parâmetros psicológicos combinados com reduções na pressão arterial e variabilidade da freqüência cardíaca melhorou ocorreu como resultado de uma intervenção de auto-gestão ilustra o profundo impacto que o estresse pode e tem em nossa fisiologia e desempenho no trabalho. Ao ensinar aos participantes como gerenciar suas percepções para controlar sua agitação emocional, a verdadeira fonte de estresse foi concomitantemente administrado.



O efeito da formação interna de Gestão da Qualidade em Stress relacionados com as alterações em uma agência governamental
O efeito do treinamento de funcionários de auto-gestão da qualidade pessoal e organizacional.

Barrios Bob - Choplin, Ph.D., Rollin McCraty, Ph.D., Sundram José M. Atkinson Ed e Mike. HeartMath Centro de Pesquisa do Instituto de publicação HeartMath, No. 99-083. Boulder Creek, CA, 1999.

Principais resultados: treinamento nas técnicas IQM ajudou funcionários CalPERS transformar efetivamente um ambiente de turbulência emocional que havia desenvolvido em resposta à implementação das mudanças organizacionais importantes. Comparado a um grupo de comparação não treinados, os funcionários que aprenderam as ferramentas HeartMath sofreram reduções significativas em raiva, ansiedade, angústia, depressão, tristeza, fadiga e sintomas de estresse físico depois de um treinamento IQM seis semanas. funcionários treinados também demonstrou aumento significativo da produtividade, clareza meta, paz e vitalidade em relação ao grupo de comparação. Os resultados sugerem que a formação HeartMath reforço da capacidade dos trabalhadores para implementar a mudança com menos resistência e atrito.

Resumo: Este estudo investigou o impacto do programa sobre IQM gerentes e pessoal da Divisão de Serviços de Tecnologia da Informação (ITSD) do Sistema de Aposentadoria do Pessoal da Califórnia (Calpers). O ITSD tinha iniciado recentemente profundas mudanças para atender às novas realidades do mercado de serviços de informação. Partindo de uma tecnologia conhecida que tinha superado a sua utilidade para uma nova tecnologia que exige que toda a divisão aprender novas habilidades provou ser um desafio significativo. O estresse gerado por estas alterações, combinado com as alterações simultâneas na liderança da divisão criou uma atmosfera emocional do equívoco, fragmentação e falta de comunicação no ambiente de trabalho. Muitos funcionários foram alegadamente experimentando a raiva, ansiedade, raiva e ressentimento. Esta combinação de estresse e afeto negativo foi comparado a um "vírus emocional, sem comprometer a capacidade da divisão de graciosamente aceitar as mudanças e se adaptar ao estilo de uma nova liderança e orientação tecnológica.

Melhorias na Stress,
Bem-estar emocional e Organizacional
Eficácia de uma agência de governo




Figura 30.
Gráfico mostra variação percentual das medidas de emoção negativa, emoção positiva, os sintomas de estresse físico e eficácia organizacional para os funcionários CalPERS depois de aprender e aplicar as técnicas IQM durante um período de sete semanas. Os dados do grupo HeartMath (n = 54; barras sombreadas) são comparados com resultados de um grupo de comparação não treinados (n = 64; barras brancas). Os asteriscos indicam uma diferença significativa entre os dois grupos no escore bruto em tempo significa dois, após o ajuste para diferenças basais (ANCOVA). * P <0,05, ** p <0,01, *** p <0,001.




A formação em Gestão de Qualidade Interna foi entregue ao longo de seis semanas a 54 empregados da ITSD, juntamente com alguns membros da Equipe de Gestão da Mudança e da Divisão de Recursos Humanos. Os participantes passaram este tempo aprendendo e aplicando as ferramentas IQM e técnicas para os problemas, desafios e oportunidades inerentes às mudanças organizacionais fundamentais. Um estudo psicológico medição das dimensões do estresse, emoções e eficácia organizacional foi administrada formação pré e pós. Os resultados foram comparados com um grupo de comparação de 64 funcionários que estavam à espera de formação.

Após a conclusão da formação, sete semanas a partir da avaliação inicial, o grupo HeartMath demonstraram reduções significativas nas medidas de stress e emoção negativa, e um aumento significativo nas medidas de emoção positiva e eficácia organizacional em relação ao grupo de comparação. As principais conclusões após o treinamento indicaram uma redução significativa na raiva (20%), desconforto (21%), depressão (26%), tristeza (22%), e aumenta a fadiga (24%) e significativa em tranquilidade (23%) e vitalidade (10%). Houve também uma redução nos sintomas de stress, incluindo ansiedade (21%), insônia (24%) e batimentos cardíacos rápidos (19%). Avaliação da qualidade organizacional revelou ganhos significativos na clareza meta (9%) e produtividade (4%).

Essas mudanças foram notáveis, à luz dos principais desafios organizacionais e emocionais enfrentados pelos participantes, bem como o tempo relativamente curto em que as melhorias aconteceram. Os resultados sugerem que, facilitando o aumento da auto-gestão dos participantes "turbulência mental e emocional, as intervenções HeartMath reforçada dos trabalhadores capacidade de neutralizar o estresse pessoal e organizacional. relatórios qualitativos da divisão com os pesquisadores indicaram que essas melhorias foram sustentadas ao longo do tempo e permitiu um processo de implementação mais eficiente e harmoniosa mudança.





HeartMath Technology in Business
Occupational stress is pervasive and invasive. In a 1992 United Nations Report, "job stress" was cited as "the 20th century disease." A recent survey revealed that 75% of Americans describe their jobs as stressful, with more than one in four reporting experiencing high levels of stress ’nearly every day.’ It is currently estimated that 60% of all absenteeism from work is caused by stress, resulting in roughly 1 million persons absent each workday. Moreover, nearly one-fifth of employed adults now acknowledge that workplace stress has caused them to quit a job.

American businesses pay the price of workers who suffer from job-related stress. Recent estimates are that job stress costs employers more than $200 billion a year in absenteeism, tardiness, burnout, lower productivity, high turnover, worker’s compensation and medical insurance costs. To put this in perspective, this figure amounts to more than 10 times the cost of all strikes combined, or the sum total profits of the Fortune 500 companies.

Accelerating stress is clearly taking its toll on the health of the workforce. Dr. Paul J. Roach, President of the American Institute of Stress, reports that 75 to 90% of all visits to healthier providers result from stress-related disorders. Among the nation’s top executives, an estimated $10 to $20 billion is lost each year through absence, hospitalization and early death, much of it a direct result of stress. Multiple long-term studies involving thousands of workers have now demonstrated that people who perceive they have little control over their jobs have significantly increased likelihood of developing heart disease; this association is independent of conventional coronary risk factors, including smoking and high cholesterol levels.

It has become increasingly clear from these and other studies that the leading source of stress for adults is their work. The problem of job stress has become so ubiquitous and so severe it is now described by the United Nations’ International Labor Organization as a ’global epidemic,’ with no occupation and no nation proving to be exempt. In this ’information age,’ the world faces on the one hand, countless technological breakthroughs that promise unheard-of conveniences to make life easier for all, and on the other, the stark reality of a workforce that experiences ever-increasing levels of personal imbalance.

Job stress costs employers more than $200 billion each year in absenteeism, tardiness, burnout, lower productivity, high turnover, worker ’s compensation and medical insurance costs.

National Safety Council, 1995

An estimated 60%of all absenteeism from work is caused by stress.

C. Cooper & R. Payne, eds. Causes, Coping and Consequences of Stress at Work. 1988

A recent study determined that employees ’ perceptions of the psychological climate at work influenced job involvement, work effort and work performance.

S. Brown et al. J Appl Psychol 1996; 81(4)

Depression,a common problem among workers, costs the U.S.$44 billion per year in lost productivity.

National Foundation for Brain Research, 1999

The California Worker’s Compensation Institute determined that job stress claims increased 700% from 1979 to 1988.

M. Lehmer et al. J Occup Environ M.Ed. 1997; 39(1)

In a recent 3-year analysis of over 46,000 workers from six major U.S.companies, depression and unmanaged stress emerged as the top two most costly risk factors in terms of medical expenditures increasing health care costs by 2 to 7 times as much as physical risk factors such as smoking, obesity and poor exercise habits.

R. Goetzel et al. J Occup Environ M.Ed. 1998; 40(10)

A nationwide survey conducted by the New York Business Group on Health revealed that each employee suffering from stress, anxiety or depression is estimated to lose 16 days of work per year, as compared to an average of 4 to 6 lost workdays for all employees.

New York Business Group on Health, 1990

In a study of over 10,000 government employees, workers who perceived they had little control over their jobs had nearly twice the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease as employees with high perceived job control.

H. Bosma et al. British Medical Journal. 1997; 314(7080)

In a national survey of 1,305 employed adults,13% reported that they or their coworkers had committed an act that they would describe as ’desk rage’ out of stress or anger, and nearly one in five had quit a job because of stress.

Caravan Opinion Research Corp. Int’l/L.A. Times, Dec. 10, 2000

Sustained positive emotion has been correlated with numerous organizationally-relevant benefits, including increased cognitive flexibility and innovative problem solving, improved decision making, negotiation style, creativity, job performance and achievement.

B. Staw et al. Organization Science 1994; 5(1)



Limitations of Many Stress Management Approaches
Many stress-reduction approaches, such as exercise and fitness programs, time management techniques and nutritional education programs, have been implemented over the past ten to fifteen years to help people cope with increased stress in the workplace. Although some benefits have been realized from these programs, most have not resulted in the desired outcomes, and the level of stress experienced by workers has continued to rise. The proportion of workers who reported feeling "highly stressed" more than doubled from 1985 to 1990. Alarmingly, recent surveys reveal that workplace stress has driven a significant proportion of adults to cry, yell at coworkers, lose sleep, consume alcohol, damage workplace equipment or furniture, call in sick, and even quit their jobs. Increasing eruptions of hostile, explosive and violent behavior in the workplace, recently described as "desk rage," reflect a fundamental level of emotional turmoil among workers that remains unresolved.



"The main limitation of most stress-reduction approaches now in use in the workplace is that they do not provide a means to reduce or avoid stress in the moment, as it occurs."

– Doc Childre


While situations, encounters or events may seem intrinsically "stressful," it is truly how an individual perceives and reacts to an event that determines whether or not the stress response is activated. The main limitation of most stress-reduction approaches now in use is that while helpful, they do not target the real source of people’s stress, enabling them to transform their perceptions and reactions to potentially "stressful" situations in the moment they occur.



Inner Quality Management: Enhancing Human Performance and Organizational Effectiveness
Many businesses have been focusing on reengineering their organizations to enhance productivity and the bottom line. At IHM, researchers realized that any effort to unleash the full power of an organization would have to start with empowering the individual. When individuals are internally self-managed, they operate at their greatest potential, enabling the organization to maximize its productivity and quality. The HeartMath tools and techniques were specifically designed for practical use in the midst of life’s fast-paced situations and often unpredictable stresses. Their fundamental purpose-to enable people to transform draining reactions and function with maximum effectiveness in the mement – makes them ideally suited for the practical setting of the workplace, where, as the statistics have shown, they are most needed. To enable people to bring the increased coherence associated with heart-focused management of the mind and emotions into the practical setting of the workplace, IHM developed the Inner Quality Management Program, a training program specifically tailored to the needs of businesses and organizations.



IQM Program Modules
Internal Self-Management: Managing stress and emotions to maximize individual flexibility, creativity and intelligence
Coherent Communication: Enhancing information transfer between coworkers, with customers or constituents, and within oneself
Boosting Organizational Climate: Creating a caring and healthy workplace culture – one that boosts productivity and effectiveness
Strategic Processes & Renewal: Operationalizing the tools to build a coherent and self-renewing organization


"Flexibility and adaptability do not happen just by reacting fast to new information. They arise from mental and emotional balance,the lack of attachment to specific outcomes,and putting care for self and others as a prime operating physiology. Flexible physiology means more resilience in times of challenge or strain. Staying open – emotionally – insures internal flexibility."

– Doc Childre & Bruce Cryer (2000). From Chaos to Coherence


Many companies have discovered that the information age requires a new type of intelligence for people to sort through, filter and effectively process an incredible flow of information. As laid out in the Introduction to this overview, the physiological incoherence created by unmanaged reactions to stress may actually inhibit brain function, reducing us to extremely limited perspectives. Sadly, many people have adapted so thoroughly to the stressful conditions around them that they hardly realize just how limited their perspectives actually are. The basic premise of Inner Quality Management (IQM) is that as individuals learn to maintain a coherent internal environment through mental/emotional management, the heart and brain synchronize, and a synergy of intellectual, intuitive and emotional intelligence takes place. This expands our perspectives, allowing us to transform stressful reactions into healthy responses and effective solutions. It becomes quickly obvious that the benefits extend far beyond stress reduction. Studies with many major organizations have revealed that the IQM tools, sincerely practiced, allow individuals to maximize their personal balance, physical health, intelligence and performance. These benefits, extended to the organization, lead to enhanced interpersonal communication and team dynamics, more effective creative and intuitive problem solving, improved planning and decision making, greater care for customers and coworkers, and over-all increased actualization of the organization’s full potential.



"Living from the heart is business – the business of caring for self and others. Understanding this will take us past the age of information into the age of intuitive living."

– Doc Childre


The following research studies demonstrate the profound impact that training in the IQM techniques has had on employees of diverse organizations. Major improvements were apparent in some cases after only six weeks’ practice of the tools learned. The trainings were highly effective in workers at all levels of employment, and proved instrumental in helping several organizations move through particularly difficult circumstances and stressful transitions with increased facility and minimized energy drain. Results indicate that practice of the techniques has not only significantly improved employees’ emotional balance and attitudes but has also affected their physical health, resulting in improved autonomic function, increased vitality and reductions in a variety of physical symptoms of stress (including sleeplessness, body aches, indigestion and rapid heartbeats). Notably, case studies show that hypertensive employees who used the HeartMath interventions were able to restore blood pressure levels to normal values without the aid of medication. Furthermore, the techniques have enabled employees to significantly increase their productivity, mental clarity, creativity and enjoyment of their work, improvements that profoundly impact overall workplace quality and effectiveness.



An Inner Quality Approach to Reducing Stress and Improving Physical and Emotional Well-Being at Work
Bob Barrios-Choplin, Ph.D., Rollin McCraty, Ph.D. and Bruce Cryer, MA. Stress Medicine. 1997; 13 (3): 193-201.

Key findings: Motorola employees trained in the IQM techniques experienced increased contentment, job satisfaction and communication and decreased tension, anxiety, nervousness and physical symptoms of stress six months after the training program. Blood pressure in hypertensive individuals was restored to normal levels and there were overall improvements in autonomic activity.

Summary: This exploratory field study examined the impact of the Inner Quality Management program (IQM) on a sample of Motorola managers, engineers and factory workers. Both psychological and physiological measures were assessed. Emotional stressors and social attitudes, physical symptoms of stress and workplace effectiveness were measured by a survey conducted prior to, and three and six months following the training program. Autonomic activity, measured by short-term heart rate variability analysis, and blood pressure were also assessed before the training and again six months afterwards.

Results showed that caring, contentment, job satisfaction and communication significantly increased after the training, while tension, nervousness, anxiety and physical symptoms of stress significantly decreased. Of the 18 managers and engineers whose blood pressure was measured, five were classified as stage 1 or stage 2 hypertensive prior to the training. The number of participants with hypertension equaled 28% of the sample, which corresponds to the national average of 28% of the population with this disorder. None of these individuals were being treated by a doctor or taking any medications to control their hypertension.

At the end of the six months, all participants were classified as either normal or high normal. Further reductions in blood pressure were achieved when participants practiced the Freeze-Frame technique for five minutes after a resting blood pressure reading was taken (Figure 27). There was also a significant reduction in resting autonomic activity at the end of the six months.



Figure 27.
Graph and table show the blood pressure levels of the five Motorola employees who were classified as hypertensive at the beginning of the 6-month study. After learning and practicing the IQM technology, all of these individuals had blood pressure readings that were classified as normal. Further reductions in blood pressure were achieved when participants used the Freeze-Frame technique for five minutes (see table).





Figure 28.
Shows the percent change in psychological measures, physical symptoms of stress and job-related measures for the Motorola executives and engineers group pre/post IQM training.





Figure 29.
Shows the percent change in psychological measures, physical symptoms of stress and job-related measures for the Motorola factory workers group pre/post IQM training.




This result supports the psychological changes measured, suggesting a shift in participants’ baseline emotional state to one of decreased tension and anxiety.

That improvements in the physical symptoms of stress and psychological parameters combined with reductions in blood pressure and improved heart rate variability occurred as a result of a self-management intervention illustrates the profound impact that stress can and does have on our physiology and work performance. By teaching participants how to manage their perceptions to control their emotional turmoil, the real source of stress was concurrently managed.



The Effect of Inner Quality Management Training on Change-Related Stress in a Government Agency
The effect of employee self-management training on personal and organizational quality.

Bob Barrios – Choplin, Ph.D., Rollin McCraty, Ph.D., Joseph Sundram, M.Ed and Mike Atkinson. HeartMath Research Center, Institute of HeartMath, Publication No. 99-083. Boulder Creek, CA, 1999.

Key findings: Training in the IQM techniques helped CalPERS employees effectively transform an environment of emotional turmoil that had developed in response to the implementation of major organizational change. Compared to an untrained comparison group, employees who learned HeartMath tools experienced significant reductions in anger, anxiety, distress, depression, sadness, fatigue and physical stress symptoms after a 6-week IQM training. Trained employees also demonstrated significant increases in productivity, goal clarity, peacefulness and vitality relative to the comparison group. Results suggest that the HeartMath training enhanced employees’ capacity to implement change with less resistance and friction.

Summary: This study investigated the impact of the IQM program on managers and staff within the Information Technology Services Division (ITSD) of the California Personnel Retirement System (CalPERS). The ITSD had recently initiated profound changes to meet the new realities in the information services marketplace. Shifting from a known technology that had outgrown its utility to a new technology requiring that the whole division learn new skills had proven to be a significant challenge. The stress generated by these changes, combined with simultaneous changes in the division’s leadership created an emotional atmosphere of fragmentation, misperception and miscommunication in the workplace environment. Many employees were reportedly experiencing anger, anxiety, anger and resentment. This combination of stress and negative affect was likened to an ’emotional virus,’ compromising the ability of the division to gracefully accept the changes and adapt to the new leadership style and technological direction.

Improvements in Stress,
Emotional Well-Being and Organizational
Effectiveness in a Government Agency




Figure 30.
Graph shows percent change in measures of negative emotion, positive emotion, physical stress symptoms and organizational effectiveness for CalPERS employees after learning and applying the IQM techniques over a period of seven weeks. Data from the HeartMath group (n = 54; shaded bars) are compared to results from an untrained comparison group (n = 64; white bars). Asterisks indicate a significant difference between the two groups in raw score means at time two, after adjusting for baseline differences (ANCOVA). * p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001.




The Inner Quality Management training was delivered over the course of six weeks to 54 employees of the ITSD, along with some members of the Change Management Team and the Human Resources Division. Participants spent this time learning and applying the IQM tools and techniques to the issues, challenges and opportunities inherent in fundamental organizational change. A psychological survey measuring dimensions of stress, emotions and organizational effectiveness was administered pre and post training. Results were compared with a comparison group of 64 employees who were awaiting training.

After the completion of the training, seven weeks from the initial assessment, the HeartMath group demonstrated significant reductions in measures of stress and negative emotion, and significant increases in measures of positive emotion and organizational effectiveness in relation to the comparison group. Key findings after the training indicated significant decreases in anger (20%), distress (21%) depression (26%), sadness (22%), and fatigue (24%), and significant increases in peacefulness (23%) and vitality (10%). There was also a reduction in stress symptoms, including anxiety (21%), sleeplessness (24%) and rapid heartbeats (19%). Organizational quality assessment revealed significant gains in goal clarity (9%) and productivity (4%). These changes were noteworthy in the light of the major organizational and emotional challenges faced by the participants, and the relatively short time in which the improvements took place. Results suggest that by facilitating increased self-management of participants’ mental and emotional turmoil, the HeartMath interventions enhanced employees’ capacity to defuse personal and organizational stress. The division’s qualitative reports to the researchers indicated that these improvements were sustained over time and enabled a more efficient and harmonious change implementation process.



Impact of the HeartMath Self-Management Skills Program on Physiological and Psychological Stress in Police Officers
Rollin McCraty, Ph.D., Dana Tomasino, BA, Mike Atkinson and Joseph Sundram, M.Ed.

HeartMath Research Center, Institute of HeartMath, Publication No. 99-075. Boulder Creek, CA, 1999.

Key findings: Police officers trained in the HeartMath techniques experienced decreased stress, negative emotions and fatigue, increased calmness and clarity under the acute stress of simulated police calls, and more rapid recalibration following these high-stress scenarios, as compared to an untrained control group. Trained officers also demonstrated improvements in work performance, communication and cooperation at work, and relationships with family after learning and practicing the techniques.

Summary: The police officer is exposed to stress beyond the range of usual human experience. Without effective management, the various acute and chronic stressors inherent in police work impose a significant burden on physical and psychological health and may lead to adverse physiological, emotional and behavioral outcomes. Officers operating under severe and chronic stress are at greater risk of error, accidents and overreaction that can compromise performance, jeopardize public safety and pose significant liability costs to the organization. Research has also shown that police officers are more than twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease as workers in other occupations. Furthermore, family relationships among law enforcement officers are often severely impacted by job-related stresses. However, police officers are rarely provided with effective stress management strategies to help alleviate these problems.

This study, sponsored by seven police chiefs and conducted in conjunction with Sunnyvale Public Safety (Sunnyvale, CA), explored the impact of the HeartMath interventions on the health and functioning of a group of police officers from seven different agencies in Santa Clara County, California. An Inner Quality Management training program, specifically tailored to address personal and work-related stressors faced by those in the law enforcement profession, was provided to an intervention group consisting of 29 officers. The training included instruction in Freeze-Frame, the Heart Lock-In and HeartMath techniques for effective communication. A waiting control group of 36 officers employed by the same agencies received the IQM training once the study was completed.



Key Benefits of the HeartMath Training for Santa Clara County Police Officers *

Increased awareness and self-management of stress reactions
Greater confidence, balance and clarity under acute stress
Quicker physiological and psychological recalibration following acute stress
Improved work performance
Reduced competition, improved communication and greater cooperation within work teams
Reduced distress, anger, sadness and fatigue
Reduced sleeplessness and physical stress symptoms
Increased peacefulness and vitality
Improved listening and relationships with family

* Compiled from the results of psychological and performance assessments, and a semi-structured interview conducted post-training.



The study was conducted over a 16-week period. Participants were assessed before and after the intervention program in the following areas: physical symptoms and vitality; emotional well-being; coping and interpersonal skills; work performance; workplace effectiveness and climate; family relationships; and physiological and psychological recalibration following acute stress. Holter monitoring was used to obtain continuous ECG data throughout a series of very realistic simulated police calls used in police training (a building search, high-speed car chase and domestic violence scenario) in order to determine the cardiovascular impact of acutely stressful situations typically encountered on the job. Two of these scenarios were conducted before the self-management training intervention, and one was conducted after the completion of the program. Given the particularly high incidence of cardiovascular disease among police officers, 24-hour heart rate variability data collected by the Holter monitor was used to assess risk for cardiovascular disease and premature mortality. Blood pressure recordings were also obtained before and after the scenarios.

Results indicated that the HeartMath training improved officers’ capacity to recognize and manage stress and negative emotions in both work and personal contexts. Over the course of the study, officers trained in HeartMath techniques experienced reductions in stress, negative emotions, fatigue and physical symptoms of stress, as well as increases in positive emotions, peacefulness and physical vitality, as compared to the control group that had not received the training. In contrast, officers in the control group showed minimal positive changes and some indications of the worsening of symptoms over the same time period. Notably, feelings of depression rose 17% among the untrained officers, while the HeartMath-trained group demonstrated a 13% drop in depression during the same time period. Similarly, fatigue declined among the HeartMath group by 18% and distress by 20%, whereas the control group demonstrated only a 1% reduction in both these parameters. Enhanced work performance in the trained group was also noted, as well as improvements in strained family relationships and communication difficulties at work, two principal and well-recognized sources of stress in the policing profession.

Heart Rhythm of One Officer Using Freeze-Frame
After the Domestic Violence Scenario




Figure 31.
This graph provides an example of the change in heart rate experienced by one officer who used the Freeze-Frame technique to help recalibrate after the intense stress of the domestic violence scenario. Note that when the scenario ends (after ’cuffing’), the participant’s heart rate begins to drop, but initially stabilizes at a level above its normal baseline range. As the officer uses the Freeze-Frame technique, there is an immediate, further reduction in heart rate back to baseline. In this study, without the use of Freeze-Frame, the average time it took for officers’ heart rhythms to normalize and heart rate to return to pre-scenario levels was 1 hour and 5 minutes.




Heart rate and blood pressure measurements taken during the simulated police calls (acutely stressful circumstances similar to those encountered by officers on the job) demonstrated a tremendous degree of physiological activation, with heart rates rising 40 to 55 beats per minute above baseline, and, on average, taking over one hour to restabilize to baseline levels. In several cases, systolic blood pressure rose to over 200 mm Hg during the simulations, reflecting increases in the range of 80-120 mm Hg above starting values. Activation such as this requires considerable time for the body to readjust to baseline levels. However, according to their responses in semi-structured interviews, the majority of participating officers felt that application of the HeartMath interventions increased their calmness, clarity and focus during the scenarios and facilitated a more rapid and fuller recovery, both physiologically and psychologically, following the acute stress. Trends in internally-con-ducted performance evaluations pre and post training were consistent with these self-reported improvements, as were blood pressure responses. Figure 31 shows an example of the change in heart rate experienced by one officer who used the Freeze-Frame technique to recalibrate after the domestic violence scenario, which participants rated as the most stressful of the simulations.

Autonomic nervous system assessment based on HRV analysis revealed that 11% of the police officers tested were at high risk for cardiovascular disease and premature mortality, more than twice the ratio of at-risk individuals expected to be found in the general population. These findings underscore the importance and potential long-term health implications of providing effective self-management interventions to individuals in high-stress professions such as law enforcement. The integration of such interventions in police training may enable officers to perform their jobs with greater effectiveness, to preserve and enhance their physical and emotional health, and ultimately to provide better protection to the citizens whom they serve.



The Effect of Inner Quality Management Training on Employees’ Tension
Independent study conducted by Bob Barrios-Choplin, Ph.D.

Key findings: Employees of Mainstream Access trained in the IQM techniques were able to alter their cognitive styles so as to significantly reduce their tension levels in the face of stress during the year following the training. Tension, in turn, was found to be significantly related to levels of burnout, anger, happiness and job satisfaction.

Summary: This longitudinal study examined the effects of the IQM program on employees of Mainstream Access, a Canadian human resource management consulting firm. The CEO of this organization became concerned that many of his employees were experiencing high levels of tension and in some instances might be approaching burnout. He felt one cause was the growth of the firm and resulting fast pace at work, and another source might be the employees overidentifying with clients who were experiencing problems. This latter source of stress, sometimes termed ’overcare,’ occurs in many helping professions, as professionals become so concerned with their clients’ emotions and problems that their own efficiency diminishes. The CEO decided to train his entire organization in techniques which would not only reduce current levels of tension, but also make employees more resilient in the face of future stressors.

Seventy employees attended an IQM training program. Participants completed a psychological survey to assess levels of tension and their relationship to feelings of burnout, anger, happiness and job satisfaction before the training and again three months and one year after the training.

There was a significant reduction in participants’ tension over the course of the study. This was particularly notable in the light of company officials’ assessments that stressors continued to increase over that period of time. Results showed that tension was positively related to burnout and anger, and negatively related to happiness and job satisfaction.

A widely accepted model of the stress process proposes that the frequency and intensity of stress reactions experienced by individuals are moderated by their appraisals of potential stressors, which, in turn, are influenced by their cognitive styles (modes of perceiving and interpreting reality). The results of this study suggest that these styles are not fixed, and that the revision of cognitive styles need not require lengthy and costly interventions. Instead, employees did make major shifts in their cognitive styles, as evidenced by lower levels of tension in the face of potentially highly stressful conditions, following a 2-day seminar and practice of the IQM techniques. Further, reduced tension can affect burnout, mood states and job satisfaction in the workplace, resulting in a healthier and more productive work environment.



Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
Independent, internally conducted study.

Key findings: Employees of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce trained in the Freeze-Frame technique showed an extremely high level of retention and consistent application of the technique both in business and personal life one year after the training. Employees placed high value on the technique, with most feeling it significantly affected their behavior and improved their health and overall well being.

Summary: This study was conducted internally by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Canada’s second largest financial institution. The bank had five employees trained to be certified in teaching the Freeze-Frame technique. These trainers subsequently delivered the Freeze-Frame portion of the IQM seminar to 1200 middle and senior-level employees, representing a cross-section of age, background and education. Employees were surveyed at several intervals after the training to determine the extent of their use of Freeze-Frame and the self-assessed effects of the technique on behavior, health and overall well-being.

Particularly striking was the high level of retention and continuous application of the Freeze-Frame technique even one year after the training, with no further instruction or follow-up. Results indicated that 71% of the employees continue to use Freeze-Frame one year after they were trained. Of the users, 86% practice the technique in business, 55% use it in personal life and 41% apply it to both business and personal issues. 73% feel that their behavior has changed as a result of using Freeze-Frame, and 82% feel that Freeze-Frame improves their overall health and well-being. At this point over 2,000 CIBC employees have participated in customized HeartMath programs. The impact that the HeartMath program has had on workplace effectiveness within this organization is summed up by a comment made by the Director of the Bank’s Leadership Center: "(As a result of HeartMath), we are seeing tremendous growth in our team focus, communication and effectiveness. Overall there is a greater sense of coherence within our team. We see the universal application of this excellent program fitting into more of our existing Leadership trainings as well as using it as a stand-alone program that supports the needs of our business."

CIBC – Use of IQM Tools




Figure 32.
Shows the result of a survey conducted one year after the program to determine how many employees were still using the IQM tools and how often they used them.




CIBC – Health and Behavior Improvements




Figure 33.
Shows the percentage of employees that felt the IQM tools had improved their health and behavior.




Royal Dutch Shell
Independent study conducted by Alan D. Watkins, MBBS.

Key findings: A group of Royal Dutch Shell employees experienced significant reductions in physical symptoms of stress, decreased negative affect, increased positive affect, marked reductions in blood pressure and significant improvements in a variety of measures of workplace effectiveness after implementing the IQM technology.

Summary: Seventeen members of the Senior Management Team of the Estates Division of Shell International participated in the IQM training program in London. Participants were middle and senior managers and included the Head of Human Relations and the Head of the company’s Head Office in London. One week prior to the 2-day program, participants completed an extensive questionnaire covering both individual and business issues. Parameters assessed included physical and emotional symptoms of stress, positive affect, communication, goal clarity, productivity, decision making and job satisfaction. The majority of participants also had their blood pressure measured at this time. The psychometric and blood pressure measurements were taken again six weeks after the training to determine the impact of the IQM program. The analysis was conducted jointly with the company’s own medical team.

Changes were culled from the subset of individuals exhibiting the strongest negative effects of stress on health and performance. Among this group, there were marked improvements six weeks following the IQM training in nearly all parameters assessed. Physical symptoms of stress significantly improved; rapid heartbeats declined by 38%, tension by 65% and aches and pains by 70%. These participants were 65% less angry, 70% less worried, 87% less fatigued and 68% happier. There was a 44% decrease in their desire to leave the company and a 52% decrease in the desire to quit their jobs. Their listening skills rose by 65%, intuitive decision making increased by 100%, alignment between personal and organizational goals increased by 107%, their meetings were 107% more organized, and the clarity of organizational goals increased by 197%. They experienced a 34% increase in focus, an 86% increase in efficiency, and a 119% increase in creativity and results. Notably, the company’s own worldwide Employee Satisfaction Survey correlated very well with the pre-training data, adding additional validity to the findings.

Of the 14 individuals who had their blood pressure monitored, seven (50%) had borderline or high readings prior to the program. The group average prior to the program was 126/80 mm Hg. Six weeks after the IQM training, with no other lifestyle changes, the average blood pressure had fallen to 118/78 mm Hg. One particular individual whose blood pressure was very high prior to the program (160/100 mm Hg), had a normal reading (130/80 mm Hg) for the first time in 15 years, according to the Chief Occupational Health Physician, six weeks after the IQM program. These results are in keeping with the marked improvements in blood pressure measured after the IQM program in the Motorola case study, described earlier in this section.

A follow-up psychometric analysis performed six months after the training was also completed. Results indicate that the improvements in personal and organizational effectiveness have been sustained through participants’ application of the IQM technology in their day-to-day work and life experiences. In many areas, further improvements have been achieved over time.

Stressful Traits

often / most of the time




Figure 34.
Reductions in stressful traits in Shell employees who experienced high stress often or most of the time, six weeks and six months after the implementation of the IQM program.




Stress Symptoms

often / most of the time




Figure 35.
Reductions in stress symptoms in Shell employees six weeks and six months after the implementation of the IQM program.




Physical Stress Symptoms

often / most of the time




Figure 36.
Reductions in physical stress symptoms in Shell employees six weeks and six months after the implementation of the IQM program.