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                   STEPPING STONES (TM) 

                          Issue 16 

                        March, 2003 


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Welcome to "Stepping Stones" (TM), the newsletter of Her 
Mentor Center (TM).  We welcome our new subscribers and invite 
them to visit the "Archive" section of our website and read 
transition stories from past newsletters. If you have not yet 
responded to the very brief questionnaire on our site, you can 
still go to the Home Page and click on "About You" to complete 
it. 

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This newsletter is in response to the stress and anxiety that 
many of our readers have been feeling in this time of 
uncertainty.  We are inundated with threats about war and 
terrorism.  We are impacted by the declining economy as we 
watch the price of gasoline go up, the price of stocks go 
down and the continued loss of jobs in our society.  Americans 
are feeling a sense of isolation.  Many of us are confused and 
ambivalent about on-going events in the world.  In short, we 
are on overload, getting constant media reports without 
any clear resolution at this time. 

As uncomfortable as you may feel, what you are experiencing 
is a normal response to an abnormal situation.  There is a 
wide range of reactions that people may have.  What follows 
are some of the symptoms that you might be noticing: 

Physical reactions such as: sleep disturbances, changes in 
appetite, headaches, body tension; 

Emotional reactions such as: anxiety, fear, frustration, 
feelings of vulnerability; 

Cognitive reactions such as: confusion, forgetfulness, 
difficulty concentrating, hyper-vigilance; 

Behavioral reactions such as: isolation, irritability, 
restlessness, impatience, aggressive behavior. 

How you cope depends on many factors in your life, 
especially what has worked for you in the past.  Here are 
some activities that might help you in the process: 

* Talk about your thoughts and feelings 

* Reach out to others in your support system 

* Retain your normal routine and activities 

* Limit your exposure to the media 

* Focus on what you can control in your life 

* Be open to asking for help 

* Eat sensibly 

* Get enough rest and sleep 

* Exercise 

* Use relaxation techniques to reduce stress 

* Avoid the use of drugs and alcohol 

* Limit your use of sugar and caffeine 

* Start a journal 

* Maintain balance in your life 

* Be patient with yourself 

* Know that you will recover at your own pace 

These are hard times for all of us.  We hope that this 
information and support will help you. 

Please share your thoughts and feelings with us by e-mailing us 
at Mentors@HerMentorCenter.com 

***What part of the situation has been most troubling to you? 

***How is the situation affecting you? 

***What helps you cope? 

We will include your responses in our next newsletter.  In this 
way, we can all help each other get through this difficult 
period. 


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                 Our Invitation to You 

Do you have your own transition story?  We invite you to 
share it with our readers for the benefit of women who 
themselves may be dealing with similar changes.  The skills you 
used may be Stepping Stones for others.  If you are interested, 
please e-mail us at HerMentorCenter@aol.com. 


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                        About Us 

HerMentorCenter.com provides information, support and 
direction for women undergoing mid-life transitions.  Having 
made these transitions ourselves, we are available to mentor 
you and to be your partners in mid-life. 

Her Mentor Center (TM) does not provide psychotherapy, 
consulting, or any other psychological or medical services 
or treatment.  If you feel the need for psychological help, 
you should contact your local mental health professional 
associations. 

To subscribe to "Stepping Stones" (TM), our free monthly 
newsletter, sign up at: 

http://www.HerMentorCenter.com/newsletter.html

To unsubscribe, go to 
http://www.HerMentorCenter.com/ 
newsletter.html and click "unsubscribe." 

To contact us, write to us at our e-mail address, 
Mentors@HerMentorCenter.com, 
or by telephone at (818) 773-7795 

Newsletters are available in our archives at: 

http://www.HerMentorCenter.com/archives.html

(c) HerMentorCenter, 2003    

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