WWY Wrigley WM JR

Research shows chewing gum can help reduce stress, improve alertness and relieve anxiety CHICAGO, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Employees rank time pressures, deadlines, office politics and their bosses as the top stress-inducing factors at work, according to a new workplace wellness survey conducted by Eclipse(R) gum and the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp).(i) (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080929/AQM021) In addition to mounting stress-inducers, employees who participated in the survey are spending more and more time in the office. In fact, 87 percent admit they typically work more than 40 hours per week, with longer days leaving more room for additional pressures and increased stress levels. "The ability to cope with stress plays a large role in employee performance," says Mary Key, workforce leadership expert for the Institute of Corporate Productivity. "We found that 65 percent of respondents do not feel their organization is effective in helping them manage stress. That leaves stress management to individuals. While alleviating the time pressures or getting a new boss may not be an option, people can use small tools to beat daily stresses at work, like going outside for a breath of fresh air, closing their eyes while slowly counting to fifty or chewing a piece of gum." While chewing gum may not have the same effect as a vacation, new research suggests it is an easy tool employees can turn to when they're feeling stressed. A study presented August 30 at the 10th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine examined the effects of chewing gum in response to a stressor and found that the use of chewing gum was associated with reduced stress, improved alertness and relieved anxiety.(ii) "The Eclipse Big-E-Pak(R) is the perfect desk accessory -- whether working at home or in the office, chewing gum can help reduce stress and improve focus and concentration," said Paul Chibe Wrigley's vice president of North American Gum Marketing. "Eclipse gum has the added benefit of containing a natural ingredient scientifically proven to help kill the germs that cause bad breath, giving them one less thing to stress about during the workday." Wanted: Stress Relief To help ease daily work stresses, Eclipse gum is offering employees the chance to win $1,500 and a year's supply of Eclipse gum in the "Wanted: Stress Relief" sweepstakes. Simply share a favorite stress relief tip and how chewing gum helps you stress less at work at http://www.wrigleygumisgood.com/ to enter. No purchase necessary. Stress Less Productivity experts at the i4cp recommend a few simple tips to help relieve office stress and increase employee efficiency: -- Lighten Up: Company-sponsored social activities can help take the edge off. Survey results showed that the more social activities employees attended, the less stress they reported. -- Take a Break: Reenergize before the next task by taking an afternoon walk around the office. -- Bring It On: Chew a piece of gum. Research shows chewing gum results in an improvement in overall performance on multi-tasking activities. -- Take Advantage: Organizations provide hundreds of resources to help employees stay healthy and manage stress. Learn what programs your employer has to offer. About the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), Inc. i4cp is the world's largest private network of corporations focused on improving workforce productivity. With more than 40 years of experience and the industry's largest team of human capital analysts, i4cp is the definitive destination for organizations seeking innovative ways to improve workforce productivity. For more information, visit http://www.i4cp.com/. About the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company (NYSE:WWY) The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company is a recognized leader in confections with a wide range of product offerings including gum, mints, hard and chewy candies, lollipops, and chocolate. The Company has global sales of $5.4 billion and distributes its world-famous brands in more than 180 countries. Three of these brands -- Wrigley's Spearmint(R), Juicy Fruit(R), and Altoids(R) -- have heritages stretching back more than a century. Other well-loved brands include Doublemint(R), Life Savers(R), Big Red(R), Boomer(R), Pim Pom(R), Winterfresh(R), Extra(R), Freedent(R), Hubba Bubba(R), Orbit(R), Excel(R), Creme Savers(R), Eclipse(R), Airwaves(R), Solano(R), Sugus(R), P.K.(R), Cool Air(R) and 5(TM). (i) Workplace Stress Survey 2008. Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp). Seattle, WA. 2008. (ii) Scholey, Andrew. An investigation into the effects of gum chewing on mood and cortisol levels during psychological stress. 10th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine. Tokyo, Japan. August 2008. For more information, contact: Denise Young Mandy Marcum Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Edelman on behalf of Wrigley (312) 645-4194 (312) 297-7551 http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080929/AQM021 http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company CONTACT: Denise Young of Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, +1-312-645-4194, ; or Mandy Marcum of Edelman, +1-312-297-7551, , for Wrigley Web site: http://www.wrigleygumisgood.com/ http://www.i4cp.com/

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