Stress is inevitable, but it doesn't have to drag us down. The trick lies in managing it. Unfortunately, most of us are not doing a great job. The recent Health in America Survey reveals that 72 percent of Americans believe their stress has increased or remained the same over the past five years, and the average American experiences more stress than they believe to be healthy.

I recently participated in the Stress Management Forum hosted by Harvard School of Public Health & The Huffington Post. Though each expert approached the subject of stress from a different angle (Dr. David Eisenberg from a clinician's perspective, Dr. Ellen Langer from a psychological perspective, Dr. Laura Kubzansky through the lens of social and behavioral sciences, and I from a mindfulness and public health point of view), we all agreed that research indicates chronic stress may contribute to heart disease, hypertension, anxiety and depression.