Commun ty Matters Topeka Presbyterian Manor
August 2015
Why you should stop stressing over stress By Jeanne Dorin for Next Avenue
We’ve all heard the bad news. Stress can lead to a panoply of problems, from depression and fatigue to cancer and heart disease, and perhaps, as recent research suggests, premature death. The unrelenting onslaught of information about these dangers can itself create more stress, as we worry about our health and longevity on top of woes over jobs, finances, college-age children with limited job prospects and caring for aged parents. But now comes — at last — news that may bring your anxiety level down a notch or two. Despite research documenting the potential dangers of stress, it is not a foregone conclusion that you will get sick or come down with any of the diseases or ailments associated with this problem. According to Sheldon Cohen, a professor of psychology and director of the Laboratory for the Study of Stress, Immunity and Disease at Carnegie Mellon University, we humans actually have quite a bit of resistance and resilience. “Most people who are stressed out can cope with it,” suggests Cohen. STRESS, continued on page 2
Resident brings sweet sounds to Manor There’s something about a violin. The sweet sound is soothing and refined, and Topeka Presbyterian Manor resident Dorothy Risebig has been enjoying both playing and teaching this instrument for many, many years. While she’s lived at Presbyterian Manor less than a year, she’s already graced us with her musical talent and can sometimes be heard “serenading” a neighbor with a birthday song. “I started playing the violin when I was 12. My teacher would take me around to the other schools to play, and I asked him why. He said, ‘Because you’re good.’ I guess I was because I kept on playing,” said Dorothy. Not only did she keep on playing, but she eventually began teaching violin lessons. “I started teaching younger students, anywhere from 4 to 5 then on up to high school. I was really busy during the summer months. Sometimes, I’d get big groups of kids to play, 20 to 30 at a time. We used a method called the Suzuki method,” said Dorothy. Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki developed this method more than 50 years ago, which has a focus on parent responsibility, loving MUSIC, continued on page 3