The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

10 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, February 3, 1987 Although the subject of the even- ing's discussion was Stress ---- Liv- ing With It, there weren't many stressful women in attendance. Instead, the 60 or more ladies who showed up for the Women and Business seminar at Conway Place last Tuesday night, found themselves having a great time learning about the nature of stress and how to live with it. Stress ---- Living With It, was the second seminar in a series, . presénted by Women and Business under the auspices of Port Perry's Community Memorial Hospital. Women and Business, a program dealing with women's issues in to- day's business world, was set up by the hospital in the same manner as -other programs lincluding diabetes clinics, among others) to help serve the physical and/or mental health of people in the Scugog community. Along with newsletters and other information sent by mail, the Women and Business members get together on a.quarterly basis to pro- vide a forum for meeting and net- working with other people, to have fun, and to learn about various pro- blems or situations women in business encounter. Last Tuesday's session was about stress in and out of the workplace, what it is and how it affects people's lives. Tina Demmers, Director of Physiotherapy at the hospital, spoke at length on the subject which ~ touches (literally) everyone's heart. "Not only do stressful situations af- - fect the heart, they also send the mind racing, the voice quavering, the tummy turning, the legs wobbl- ing and the palms sweating. Stress, Mrs. Demmers explained, can bring out feelings that may cause a per- ~ son to yell; to sit down and cry, and even to strike out and kill. "Sometimes even that word, 'stress,' can engender many "negative feelings within us," Mrs. Demmers said at the beginning of her speech. To illustrate how situations can bring on stress, several women who work at the hospital proceeded to act out a few situations where stress can sometimes get the better of a person. New situations with improper training, boredom, change of hours ' or lifestyle, and unusually heavy work demands can all bring on feel- ings of stress. But as Mrs. Demmers pointed out, not all stressful situations are negative. A wedding, for example, - can bring on the same stress levels as a funeral. In either case, the body pumps up for reaction. "Stress is not simply nervous io sion," Mrs. Demmers explained. is a general physiological bb -within your body." 'Stress, she says, is not necessari- ly a bad thing. "It's not something to be totally avoided. To be devoid of stress is death itself," she said. 'Would we want it any other way? No. It would be complete boredom. Let's cross - out the word stress and replace it with life. Dealing with life." But on the other hand, too much stress can be too much to handle. "We want so much to do well and satisfy everyone's expectations. We like to think we can handle it all," Mrs. Demmers said. *'I think to- day's woman certainly takes more on her shoulders than she used to years ago." "We get so used to being up there that we call it normal," she added. "We're so used to ten minute lun- ches, no time off for family and friends, that we call it normal. Our resistance goes up continually until there's a point in our lives when we cannot handle it any longer. We call that burnout. Physically, emotional- ly, and psychologically exhausted. People can' go right off the deep end." For 'an example, she reminded | her audience of the orthodontist that LY killed himself and his family not too . long ago. "'Let's hope it never comes to that, but this is what ¢an happen when there's too much on our plates." The key to living with stress is to - do something about it. When you first. hear bad news, such as a boss _ telling you to work late in order to ~ finish a report when you're-already overworked, the best thing to do is react to it immediately. 'At the first sign of bad news your body pumps up for the infamous "fight or flight" snyndrome, and not doing either can eventually cause ulcers, heart damage or a nervous breakdown. If you're already overworked and asked to do more, either say no ("Learn to say no," Mrs. Demmers said), or finish the work and make sure to do some physical work-out activity within 24 hours. The physical activity, Mrs. Demmers explains, works off the juices which build up in a person's body in reac- |i The difference between a person who can handle stress and one who is overloaded with it ---- Marilyn Snider shows the "pulling out your hair" syndrome of too much stress while Tina tion to a stressful situation. If they're not worked off, they can cause problems. later. "Be wise, step back, recognize the situations you are in," Mrs. Dem- mers said. "Ask yourself, is there anything you can change, you can alter." The most important mechanisms is coping with stress come after ask- ing yourself -- Do you really want to cope with stress or do you enjoy life? i If you don't necessarily enjoy it, then changing your attitude about how you view the world is impor- tant. Mrs. Demmers calls it social engineering. She recommends developing a hardiness which helps to deal with life with commitment, challenge and control, rather than letting life control you. . "Attitude is most important,' "she said. -Setting priorities i in life is also im- portant, as is looking after your body through good nutrition and physical exercise. Developing social contacts with people who can pro- vide stipport and encouragement i is also important. . If it's your workplace that causes the most stress, take what Mrs. Demmers calls an organizational audit, reviewing the lighting, the space, noise, amount of fresh air . and the lines of communication. Knowing who to turn to when there's a problem at work can alleviate a lot of stressful situations. And above all, make sure the work you're doing is right for you. Maybe there's not enough challenge, or maybe -there's too much. Physical exercise, however, is ex- tremely important in dealing with stress. It engenders a good feeling, it prepares the body for future good or bad news, and it helps "blow off those waste products. inside your body" caused by stress. '"'Be aware of competitive games," Mrs. Demmers warned. "Sometimes Wercan get too-caught tory offer. BJ Donuts 22 Water St., Pt. Perry 985-8932 McGarry. : BJ Donuts Is now under new ownership and is welcoming all past customers and inviting future customers to en- joy our specials running this week as an introduc- Country Corner (eramics Women learn all about stress Demmers displays: a relaxed potiure. Both women participated in the Women and Business 'seminar on stress at Conway Place last Tuesday night. See story for details. - up." . Even recalling a positive event in one's life can bring a kind of heal- "ing to the mind, like a soothing massage does to the body. Planning idleness into a day, enjoying meals with family or friends (slowly!) Lin ding a retreat in the house, enjoying unstructured vacations, giving yourself a pat on the back, and liv- ing by the calendar not by a watch, helps people to relax. And more than anything, "Develop a good sense of humour," Mrs. Demmers said. 'Learn to laugh at yourself." The key, she explained, is to con- trol stress, not to let it control you. - "To live life with stress is to live it to the fullest," she said. The next Women and Business seminar will deal with financial matters. For more information. contact the hospital and ask for : either Bette Hodgins or Debbie J 2 Donuts & 1 Coffee $1.10 With this Coupon!! 10 weeks . WINTER CLASSES . 20.00 - OR - 'Use our paints and glaze - pay for only what you use!' ADULT & CHILDREN CLASSES PACKAGE DEALS AVAILABLE. - Greenware - All Supplies - Firing - Air Brushing $2.50 ... week 110 ONTARIO ST. Just South of the Lights at Lilla & Hwy. TA, Port Perry HURRY ... CLASSES ARE ALMOST FULL! 985-9508