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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1984-11-21, Page 27CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21,1984 --Page 7A Workshop explains basic relaxation techniques of avoiding stress BY JOANNE BUCHANAN Stress is inevitable. To do our best work, we all need to generate some tension -some stress. However, chronic stress, day m and day out, Can take its toll on our health and productivity. The important thing is to learn how to control stress, cope with it and turn it tour personal advantage. • Learning to use the energy that stress gives us wisely and efficiently was the. theme behind a day -long workshop held at the Maitland -Country Club in Goderich last Thursday. One hundred people registered for the Practical Stress Control Workshop which was sponsored by the Huron County Health Unit in co-operation with the Huron County Chapter of the Heart and Stroke Foundation Response to the workshop was so over- whelming said health education consultant and workshop organizer, Sheryl Gilbert, that 50 people had to be put on a waiting list and another workshop is now planned for December 11 to accommodate these people as well as any others who may want to par- ticipate. Dr. Richard Earle conducted last Thursday's workshop. He is an active member of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto; president of the Canadian Stress Institute; and chairman of the Professional Advisory Board of the In- ternational Institute of Preventative -and Stress Medicine. His impressive list of credentials make him quite adept on the subject of dealing with stress. Dr. Earle says we all have two energy sources in our bodies -calories and stress. He compares stress to the gas in a car, say- ing if we didn't have any, we couldn't move. And he says we should be concerned about what kind of mileage we are getting. The following information on stress has been taken from materials handed out at the workshop: body's.stl'esa reaction will be triggered. Vor enple, when following a school bus on the road that rakes passing impossible, you might become anxious and upset at the prospect et being late for an appointment. In response, your body reacts and you may find yourself tightly gripping the steering wheel with sweaty palms while a headache begins to develop. On the other hand, by per- cieving the situation as a "gift" of time to sit back, turn up the radio, and enjoy the drive, you can avoid experiencing a stress reac- tion. THE SOLUTIONS At the workshop, Dr. Earle taught psychological techniques and basic relaxa- tion techniques for reducing levels of uncer- tainty which cause stress. He also talked about career and life planning. Following are some methods of dealing with stress: To deal with stress, aperson must first -be able to recognize and admit its presence. So, listen to your body. It will often give you signals indicating stress. Listen to your feel- ings too. They will often tell you when you need some relief. Are you taking on too much? A common cause of a stress reaction is attempting to do too much with the resources and time at your disposal. If you seem to be making commitments beyond your capacity, better scheduling plus the ability to say "No", when appropriate, can help. Check it out with your doctor. Persistent signals that might inean psychological stress are sometimes due tophysical pro- blems. Sometimes the physician will refer patients to specialized help such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, religious, marital, child guidance or family service counsellor. Balance work with play. If you feel that you are on a treadmill at work, try to schedule time for recreation. Participate in a hobby or pastime which is strictly for your own enjoyment and make time for enjoying it. Loaf a little. Take a breather. A leisurely walk, for example, can bring inner peace and help put things in perspective. Find the time to "make friends" with yourself. Learn to relax. Just a few minutes of peace and quiet every day can make a big difference. Exercise regularly. Swim, walk, bicycle, jog -any favorite sport will help you let off steam and work out stress. Get away from it all. When you feel that you are going around in circles with a pro- blem, try to divert yourself. When possible,. a change of scene can give you a new perspective. There are times when we need a brief let-up from the usual routine. Avoid self-medication. If you should need medication, your physician may prescribe one which temporarily helps you to relax without affecting your mental agility. But, avoid self-medication. There are different types of tranquilizers or sedatives available for various purposes. A doctor can prescribe the amount and type that's safe. Talk it over. When tensions build up; discuss the problem with a close friend or with the people involved. Be realistic. People who expect too much of themselves can get tense if things don't work out. Set practical goals and expect to be successful. Plan your work. Tension and anxiety real- ly build up when your work seems endless so plan your work to use time and energy more effectively. Ptactice positive health habits. Try to develop a pattern of eating regular meals that include a variety of nutritious foods. Getting enough sleep each night keeps you alert and ready to meet stressful situations. There are many ways to reduce the Dr. Richard Earlc. amount of tension you experience as a result of stress. Experiment and find the one that works best for you. And if you are interested in attending the next stress workshop on December 11, call the Huron County Health Unit. Stress and how we handle it can affect both our health and happiness. It has been recognized as an important contributing factor in a variety of physical and emotional ailments, ranging from hives to insomnia to heart disease and it appears to be a major influence on the quality of our lives. It af- fects whether we feel as good as we can, whether we do our work as well as we want to, how good our relationships are with friends and relatives, and how much we en- joy ourselves. Stress is our body's response to any de- mand placed on it and can make us feel threatened, pressured or under strain. One of the main causes of stress is CHANGE - especially sudden or disagreeable change. Too many or too drastic changes often result in harmful tension. When we experience stress, our bodies respond -our hearts beat faster, our,respira- tion quickens, our blood pressure and blood sugar rise, our palms get sweaty and our stomachs may feel upset. These changes are part of our body's preparation to react , to a stressful event -the fight or flight response.. Each time this stress. reaction oc- curs, our bodies' adaptive energy is "zap- ped". Over a period of time, frequent repeti- tions of this stress response andsubsequent readjustment within the body can cause "wear. and tear" on .the body which can result in physical and mental health disorders. The effect that stress has on your physical and emotional well-being can be minimized by recognizing that how you percieve the source of stress directly influences how much tension and anxiety you experience - "it's what's in your head that counts". In reality, the only stress that exists is inside your body and can be controlled by how you respond to an outside situation. If you inter- pret the situation as being stressful, . your • Visit us in the Clinton Area EVERY TUESDAY Representative: Dave Selkirk an FBDB representative will be in the CLINTON area EVERY TUESDAY. Come and meet him. There is no obligation and no costs and your business can gain a lot from it. • If you're looking for financial aid. in the form of loans, loan guarantees or even selling an equity position in your business, come and discuss it with us. We have experienced counsellors who can help you plot a course for growth and success for your business. And we cah provide you with direction to get government assistance, both federal and provincial, as well as other vital information. For an advance appointment, call: .(519) 271-5650 (collect) Or write: 1036 Ontario Street P.O. Box 878 STRATFORD, Ontario N5A 6W3 La Banque ofire ses services dans les deux Iangues officielles. Federal Business Banque federal° Development Bank de developpement Your future is our guarante0 Canada SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO Hydro Transmission Studies Continue Bruce NPD Lake Huron Georgian Bay Lake Simcoe 4 I Strathroy She Lake, Ontario Peters Corners"7`,,.��, iiddtep6rt Lake Erie A Nanticoke GS New Study Areas Previous Study Areas Information Centres Transformer Station (TS) Generating Station (GS ) Areas of New Route and Site Studies Information Centre Locations: WINGHAM Canadian Legion Hall Monday November 26 RIPLEY Huron Community Centre Tuesday, November 27 PARIS 3 Main Street South Tuesday, November 27 CLINTON Community Centre and Arena Wednesday, November 28 PETER'S CORNERS Beverley Community Centre Wednesday, November 28 EXETER South Huron Recreation Centre Thursday, November 29 Ontario Hydro is continuing efforts to find acceptable routes for new transmission facilities within the shaded areas shown on the map, and has scheduled a series of information centres to bring local residents up to date on the studies. The need to expand the electrical power system in south- western Ontario remains crucial: • to provide adequate facilities to deliver power from the Bruce Nuclear Power Development (BNPD) to Ontario consumers; • to meet the growing electrical demand in southwestern Ontario to the year 2000; and • to maintain an adequate interchange of power between Ontario Hydro and electrical utilities in Michigan. Background In 1981, Ontario Hydro conducted extensive studies of alternative system plans for the expansion of the electric power system in southwestern Ontario. An environmental assessment was prepared and submitted to the Ontario government in October, 1981. Public hearings were held under the Consolidated Hearings Act ear'y in 1982 and a ;v plan was approved for more detailed invettigation.. However, on June 25,1984, a decision by the Divisional' Court of Ontario invalidated the findings of the 1982 public hearing. As a result Hydro staff are carrying out -additional route and site selection studies in the areas shown on the map. This information will enable detailed comparison of a number of possible route and site locations and the sub- mission of a new environmental assessment. The facilities being studied for these new areas are: • a single -circuit, a double -circuit or two single -circuit 500 -kilovolt (kV) transmission lines from Bruce NPD to a new Transformer Station (TS) near London; • a 500/230 kV transformer or switching station in the London area; • a single -circuit 500 -kV line from the London area TS to the Aberfoyle area (the corridor studied last year and centered on Highway 401 has been widened, generally between Cambridge and Brantford); and • 230 -kV transmission lines to connect the new London area TS with Hydro's existing 230 -kV system,. Approval of Facilities Hydro plans to identify possible routes and transformer station sites early in 1985. This information will then be con- sidered in comparison with the routes and sites identified in other areas of southwestern Ontario over the past two years. An environmental assessment submission and. public hearings are expected to follow. An important component to these studies is the information provided by the public. Local residents and other groups or individuals interested in the study are encouraged to participate and make their views known. Information. Centres Hydro staff will be available at the following information centres to discuss the studies, answer questions and receive comments. Detailed maps and charts will also be .available. Members of the public are invited to attend one of the centres, open from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m, in the afternoon, and 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the -evening. OXFORD CENTRE Community Hall Thursday, November 29 JDERTON Community Centre • Monday, December 3 Open to the public 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.'rn. and 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Further Information For more information please contact: Mrs. Laura Formusa Community Relations Department H8 -F5 Ontario Hydro 700 University Avenue Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X6 or call collect (416) 592-2016. STRATHROY West Middlesex Memorial Centre Auditorium Tuesday, December 4 SHEDDEN Odd Fellows Hall Thursday, December 6 6