Carmen Bowen-Wright
Dear Readers,
IT WAS easy to decide what to write about today - stress. I attended the installation ceremony of our new Governor-General. It was a historical occasion. The pump and pageantry and the general ambience was awesome and exciting. I was witnessing the ushering in of a new era.
As I saw our First Lady descend the stairs and take her place on the platform with her spouse - what a picture of elegance, and 'unruffledness'; she was truly stunning! She was distinctive from all the other ladies by her chopo (hat). It must have been custom-built for her; it complemented her attire in a way
that no 'hairdo' could.
THE NEW FIRST LADY
As I am a wellness and preventive medicine person, I immediately thought "I hope this couple of seniors both know how to preserve their wellness, which by the way was so apparent!" Why? Well, being First Lady and Governor-General is no walkover. It is a very stressful job and moreso for persons who are seniors (WHO classifies all persons 60 and over as elderly, I like the word senior better). Their job is therefore extra stressful. This especially, as many seniors achieve seniority with chronic health problems such as diabetes, arthritis and others. Hence, their situation
is unlike the young, healthy executive who is being exposed to a stress-filled environment, as will be the Governor-General and the First Lady.
SUBJECTED TO STRESSORS
In two articles to follow, I will be dealing with "what is stress and its effects on health and wellness" and "the management of stress". Today, I just want to remind readers that all of us are subjected to stressors. Stress cannot be avoided, but it can be managed. Also, depending on our innate make up and our genealogy, we react differently to stressors. For example, some persons can ignore some stressors as if they are not experiencing them; others on the other hand, subjected to the same stressors will have elevation of the blood pressure, depression and even 'nervous breakdowns'. In other words, stressors can trigger severe physical and mental illness in some person.
Stressors are usually negative but can also be positive in the way they affect our psyche. For example, the failure of an examination or loss of a spouse could cause anxiety, stress and depression. Yet those same situations could stimulate the individual to take positive actions in their lives. For example, the person who failed an examination could consider the implications of failure, may then apply him/herself optimally and in the next sitting may pass the examination with distinction.
Until we discuss what stress is next week, identify the stressors in your life. In the future articles you can then pick up hints on how to manage your personal stressors.
Bye for now.
Dr. Carmen Bowen-Wright is a preventive medicine specialist and wellness practitioner; email: yourhealth
