The topic of stress management attracted a crowd to the UAMS-Arvest Women's Forum on Monday. Stress can result from focusing on pleasing others rather than living one's own dreams, she said. Dr. Worley also emphasized that men and women should recognize and express their emotions instead of suppressing them.
Women tend to disguise anger, while men tend to ignore feelings of fear or sadness.
However, burying such emotions can lead to stress, she said. Dr. Worley suggested beginning each day by examining how one feels and acknowledging negative emotions such as fear or sadness. Between jokes about shopping, she recommended that individuals eliminate credit card debt and save or invest each month. In reducing consumer debt, Brown said it is effective to pay off the lowest balance first and then reapply that monthly payment to the next lowest balance, entirely eliminating one department store or bank card at a time. Brown also discussed refinancing home mortgages, suggesting that refinancing can be cost-effective if the homebuyer is able to reduce the mortage rate by 2 percent or more.