Mothers are the world’s best jugglers: family, work, money. They seem to do it all. However, all that responsibility can often leave moms feeling overstretched and stressed out. According to a 2011 survey by the American Psychological Association (APA), women are more affected by stress than men and report engaging in unhealthy behaviors such as comfort eating, poor diet choices, smoking, and inactivity to help deal with stress. The same survey showed women report feeling the effects of stress on their physical health more than men. With Mother’s Day fast approaching, it’s a good time for moms and their families to recognize the importance of addressing stress and managing it in healthy ways.

“How a mother manages stress is often a model for the rest of the family,” says psychologist Dr. David Palmiter Jr., President-Elect of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association. “Other family members will imitate her unhealthy behavior.”

Women are also more likely to take on the high-anxiety role of health care manager for the family. “It’s particularly stressful to be the family’s health manager, making health care decisions for yourself, your children, and possibly aging parents,” says Dr. Palmiter. “People who handle stress in unhealthy ways may alleviate symptoms of stress in the short term, but end up creating significant health problems over time, and ironically, more stress.”

The Pennsylvania Psychological Association offers these strategies to help mothers manage stress:

Understand how you experience stress. Everyone experiences stress differently. How do you know when you are stressed? How are your thoughts or behaviors different from times when you do not feel stressed?

Identify stressors. What events or situations trigger stressful feelings? Are they related to your chldren, family health, financial decisions, work, relationships or something else?

Recognize how you deal with stress. Determine if you are using unhealthy behaviors to cope with the stress of motherhood. Is this a routine behavior, or is it specific to certain events or situations? Do you make unhealthy choices as a result of feeling rushed and overwhelmed, such as stopping for fast food while running errands or picking up your kids? Put things in perspective. Make time for what’s really important. Prioritize and delegate responsibilities. Identify ways your family and friends can lessen your load so that you can take a break. Delay or say no to less important tasks.

Find healthy ways to manage stress. Consider healthy, stress-reducing activities – taking a short walk, exercising, or talking things out with friends or family. Keep in mind that unhealthy behaviors develop over time and can be difficult to change. Don’t take on too much at once. Focus on changing only one behavior at a time.

Ask for professional support. Accepting help from supportive friends and family can improve your ability to persevere during stressful times. If you continue to feel overwhelmed by stress, you may want to talk with a psychologist who can help you manage stress and change unhealthy behaviors.

“Mothers often put their family needs first and neglect their own,” says Dr. Palmiter. “It’s okay to relax your standards – don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself to have the ‘perfect’ house or be the ‘perfect’ mother. No one expects you to be Superwoman.”

To learn more about stress and mind/body health, visit the Pennsylvania Psychological Association’s Web site, http://www.papsy.org/public/, or the American Psychological Association’s Consumer Help Center at www.APAhelpcenter.org.

If you think you may need a 12 Step Program, or would like to know what’s in your area, please contact us for a referral.

“The best managers have a fundamentally different understanding of workplace, company, and team dynamics. See what they get right.”

One of the many services we offer through Mazzitti & Sullivan EAP Services is Critical Incident Stress Management, a program designed to mitigate the effects of traumatic events and help prevent PTSD.

By James J. Stone, Psy.D.

Do you know the signs and symptoms of a concussion? Would you know how to determine if a child who fell but didn’t hit his/her head had a concussion? Well, if you are a coach in Pennsylvania, you better know how before this summer.

When it comes to concussions, you have probably heard of many of the more famous athletes who have had plenty – Troy Aikman, Brett Farve and, of course, Eric Lindross. But have you ever heard of Zack Lystedt? Soon, you might.

Zack was a middle school student in Washington State who sustained a traumatic brain injury during a football game. He was hurt while making a tackle and, after sitting out for a while, returned in the fourth quarter, collapsed after the game and needed two emergency brain surgeries to survive. Getting hit a second time likely contributed to his brain injury.

As a result, Washington passed a law (called the “Zackery Lystedt Law”) that requires a player who shows signs of a concussion be removed from a game or practice, and bars the player from competing again until being cleared by a licensed health care professional trained in concussion evaluation and management.

The Law in Pennsylvania

Now, similar laws are popping up all over the nation, including Pennsylvania. In July 2012, the “Safety in Youth Sports Act” will go into effect for public schools and require many of the same provisions as the “Zackery Lystedt Law.” Signed by Governor Corbett on November 9, 2011, the law requires:

• A mandatory “informational meeting” for competitors of all ages, their parents and coaches on proper concussion management
• Students and parents to sign that they have received and reviewed educational materials on concussions and traumatic brain injury
• Mandatory training of coaches in a concussion management certification program
• Establishing standards for identifying and managing concussions
• Mandatory removal from activities of any student who is suspected of having a head injury
• Evaluation of any student who is suspected of having sustained a head injury before they are allowed to return
• Evaluation of players by a licensed physician, certified athletic trainer or a licensed psychologist who is neuropsychologically trained.

The Penalties

If you are a coach, you will need to know the rules because penalties await coaches who do not comply. The first offense is met with a suspension for the rest of the season. A second offense extends the suspension to the entire following season as well. Coaches who violate the law three times are permanently suspended from coaching.

There is also pending legislation in the U.S. Congress. Last January, Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY) introduced H.R. 469, the Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act of 2011. The bill contains many of the same provisions as the Pennsylvania law, but also attaches federal funding for compliance. Currently, the bill is in subcommittee, and, as a result, many states have scrambled to create their own concussion legislation. Since Rep. Bishop’s bill was introduced just a year ago, new legislation has been passed in 21 states, bringing the total number of states with concussion laws to 33.

Future Directions

It is clear that the awareness of concussions in children is growing, which is a positive development for our youth. Now with these laws being passed, we have some tools to ensure the proper identification and treatment of concussions by qualified professionals. However, parents and other caregivers can help by providing proper supervision and protection to prevent concussions happening in the first place.

Some prevention tips:

• Always wear your seatbelt
• Always wear a helmet when bicycling, skateboarding or rollerblading
• Wear a mouth guard in non-helmet sports such as basketball and soccer
• Never dive into the shallow end of a pool

Note: Zackery Lystedt graduated from high school last year, after returning to school with modifications. He started Bellevue College in the fall and will move into a new custom-built house that caters to the Lystedts’ needs for caring for their son.

Dr. Stone is a neuropsychologist and concussion specialist at The Center for Neuropsychology and Counseling in Warrington PA. The Center offers evaluations as well as individual and group therapies for children, adolescents, adults, couples and families. For more information about The Center, visit www.thecenterinwarrington.com. 

Millennials will benefit and suffer due to their hyperconnected lives – article by the  Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.

This just in from the Pennsylvania Department of Health….

The PA Securities Commission, the state agency that regulates the investment industry and investigates investment fraud, is distributing electronic and hard copies of the new “Financial Field Manual For Military Families.”  It includes information geared for military personnel and families on basic finances, how to save and invest for retirement and other goals, and how to avoid and report financial scams that specifically target military personnel.

This booklet is educational and non-commercial in nature. Hard copies are available at no cost, while supplies last.  Individual as well as bulk quantities are available to anyone who may want to distribute them.  Anyone who wants hard copies should e-mail Doug Hassenbein, Pennsylvania Securities Commission, at dhassenbei@pa.gov with their quantity request, address and other relevant contact information.

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I also have a few more links to be added into our Resources for Veterans page, so be sure to check them out if you’re interested.  If you don’t know your company’s login, give us a call at 1-800-543-5080 or email us at info@mseap.com!

Feeling a tug at your heart strings? It might be more than love, experts say. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, heart disease is the number one cause of death among women in the United States. While many factors, such as diet, physical activity, and genetics contribute to the onset of heart disease in women, stress plays a more significant role than any leading man.

According to the American Psychological Association’s 2011 Stress in America Survey, women are substantially more likely than men (70 percent vs. 50 percent) to say they have tried to reduce stress over the past 5 years.

“The link between high levels of stress and heart disease is well-known and very real,” says Dr. David A. Rogers, a licensed psychologist at Hershey Psychological Services. “The good news is that by being proactive in their healthcare decisions and making healthy lifestyle choices women can successfully manage their levels of stress and minimize their risk of heart disease.”

In fact, the tools used to prevent stress are also those often employed to prevent heart disease. A healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains as well as regular physical activity, such as walking, yoga, or dance, all contribute to a healthy mind and body.

The Pennsylvania Psychological Association offers these tips on how to manage your stress:

Understand how you experience stress. Everyone experiences stress differently. How do you know when you are stressed? How are your thoughts or behaviors different from times when you do not feel stressed?

Identify your sources of stress. What events or situations trigger stressful feelings? Are they related to your children, family, health, financial decisions, work, relationships or something else? Is there anything you can do to change the situation or reduce your stress?

Learn your own stress signals. People experience stress in different ways. You may have a hard time concentrating or making decisions, feel angry, irritable or out of control, or experience headaches, muscle tension or a lack of energy. Gauge your stress signals.

Recognize how you deal with stress. Determine if you are using unhealthy behaviors (such as smoking, drinking alcohol and over/under eating) to cope. Is this a routine behavior, or is it specific to certain events or situations? Do you make unhealthy choices as a result of feeling rushed and overwhelmed?

Find healthy ways to manage stress. Consider healthy, stress-reducing activities such as mediation, exercising or talking things over with friends or family. Keep in mind that unhealthy behaviors develop over time and can be difficult to change. Don’t take on too much as once. Focus on changing only one behavior at a time.

Take care of yourself. Eat right, get enough sleep, drink plenty of water and engage in regular physical activity. Take regular vacations or other breaks from work. Women often take on too many responsibilities. No matter how hectic life gets, make time for yourself — even if it’s just simple things like reading a good book or listening to your favorite music.

Reach out for support. Accepting help from supportive friends and family can improve your ability to manage stress. If you continue to feel overwhelmed by stress, you may want to talk to a psychologist, who can help you better manage stress and change unhealthy behaviors.

To learn more about stress and mind/body health, visit the Pennsylvania Psychological Association’s Web site, www.papsy.org, or the American Psychological Association’s Consumer Help Center at www.APAhelpcenter.org.

The Pennsylvania Psychological Association is a member-driven organization dedicated to promoting and advancing psychology in Pennsylvania, advocating for public access to psychological services, and enhancing multiple dimensions of human welfare while supporting the development of competent and ethical psychologists. Our mission is to educate, update and inform the public and our membership on cutting-edge psychological theory and practice through training activities and public policy initiatives.

Web site: http://www.papsy.org/public/index.html