European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 16, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse More Money less stress by Catherine dressier associated pressm Oney May not buy happiness but a study suggests that in certainly can reduce stress. Sheldon Cohen a psychology professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Pa., Analysed the results of a Louis Harris and associates inc. Telephone Survey of 9go men and 1,427 women aged 18 or older the hams pollsters used a perceived stress scale developed by Cohen and colleagues. They found that stress tends to decrease As age and household income increase Cohen said there s a Nice relationship Between income and stress level generally. The lower your income the higher your stress level the More Money you make the less stress you report. The people who seem to be Best Oil Are in the $45.000 to $50.000 a year Cohen s scale measures How much stress people feel based on their answers to multiple Choice questions about How often they experience certain thoughts and feelings. One key question asks in the last month How often have you Felt difficulties were piling up so High that you could not overcome them the scale makes some assumptions about what stress really is Cohen said. Stress is when you re overloaded and you feel you can t Deal with the demands in your life. What you think and feel is really what matters " Harris used Cohen s scale to conduct the Survey Lor the office of disease prevention and health promotion in 1983. Harris gave Cohen Access to the data about iwo years later and he Analysed the results for nearly three years. He found that women tend to feel More stress than men professionals and managers report less stress than Blue Collar workers the More educated people Are. The less stress they report White people report loss stress than Blacks people who Are married or living with a mate and those whose spouse died Are less stressed than those who Are single divorced or separated those who reported More stress in the study also reported More symptoms of illness and went to the doctor and smoked More often Cohen said. Married people tended to be healthier than non married people. Test your stress Here s a test that can help determine How much stress you Leet in your tile. The our questions Are part of Carnegie Mellon psychology professor Sheldon Cohen s perceived stress scale. Answer by choosing one of the five responses listed below the questions 1. In the last month How often have you Felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life 2. In the last month How often have you Felt confident about your ability to handle your personal problems 3. In the last month How often have you Felt things were going your Way 4. In the last month How often have you Felt difficulties Wera piling up so High you could not overcome them answers a. Never. B. Almost never. C. Sometimes. D. Fairly often. E. Very often. For questions 1 and 4, give yourself no Points for choosing answer a one Point for a two Points for a three Points for d and Lour Points Lor e. For 2 and 3, give yourself four Points for a. Three Points for a iwo for a one for d and no Points for e. Add your Points. Your score is not a diagnosis but Cohen said it can help you determine How stressful your Lite is in comparison with other people s lives. In his National study the average score was 4.5 Points. Women on average scored 4.7 Points and men 4 2. Go sing in the Sunshine doctors say it s of to go out and play in the Sun. By Susan Fisher associated press if the Bright Sunshine and warm breezes offspring tempt you to abandon Boring work and run outdoors Don t play in the Sun. That s the prescription from doctors who say it s Only natural to want to direct Energy outside when the weather gels warmer and the Days get longer. Contrary to dictionary definitions doctors say Spring fever is not simple laziness but rather the same sort of instinctive response that prompts bears to emerge from hibernation Birds to Migrate and countless species to mate in the Spring. It s not a medical diagnosis but it s real said or. Henry Schneiderman. An internist and pathologist on a sunny Spring afternoon in his windowless University of Connecticut health Center office. He described Spring fever As the restless feeling that comes with the beginning of the season ii makes it difficult to focus on the tasks at tuesday May 16, 1989 although Spring fever seems like a kind of Aliguo it in t fatigue at All said or. Thomas Lane an internist who directs the fatigue clinic at the health Center. Spring fever is not a reduction in Energy bul a reduction in Energy to do Boring Spring fever is worse than Cabin Lover a Winter condition of increased anxiety or boredom irom living Lor some Lime in a confined space. Schneiderman said. Not Only is the office or House a pain in the neck but the outdoors is hormones also play a role he said. The increase in sunlight triggers the pineal gland at the base of the brain to release hormones. Similar hormones in other animals and Birds signal the Onset of mating season the increased hours of sunlight also stimulate migration in Birds. In a sense Schneiderman said people have an urge to Fly from their responsibilities. I think most people can Deal with it. Most people won t come to the doctor for it. If they wound up coming to the doctor for it i would think they had some other slaying indoors for some time also has been known to cause physical problems. Headaches chronic fatigue and irritability have been linked to lower oxygen Levels and indoor pollutants like holds and formaldehyde doors. The cure to Spring Ever is to enjoy Lite to Stop and smell the Blooming roses. Schneiderman said. Gelling out is Good for physical health and getting out is Good Lor mental to and from the car does t count As gelling of course he warned everyone must be sure to fulfil his obligations and Lane said Spring May even be the time for an increase in labor. Spring is the time for an increase in labor a Lime Lor planning a time to spend he said adding that Spring also can be a reawakening. Climb to the top of a Large Hill or a Mountain with a Good View and think about the meaning of the stars and stripes Page 17
