Who hasn’t felt the effects of stress? From sitting in traffic and trying to balance work and family to paying the bills — we all experience stress in our lives.
The bad news is that most of us don’t realize that stress has a profound negative affect on our health leading to many chronic diseases including high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack and cancer, just to name a few. The good news is that once we are aware of the effects of stress it is within our power to learn how to manage and reduce its impact on our lives.
On Friday, March 9, Open Door Family Medical Centers and Women Organized Around Wellness (WOW), an Ossining- based coalition with a mission to increase awareness of health
disparities affecting African American women in northern Westchester will spread the good news about stress management with "A Day For Us; Release, Relax, Renew." Featuring guest speaker Dr. Janet Taylor, a leading expert on stress management, the free forum is open to the public and will be held from 6-9pm at the Scarborough Presbyterian Church, Route 9, Scarborough, New York. Reservations are requested and may be made by calling Donna Thomas at (914) 502-1380.
Dr. Janet Taylor is a clinical instructor of psychiatry at Columbia University at Harlem Hospital. She is on the front line battling the emotional and economic impact of mental illness. Dr. Taylor is a certified professional coach and her company, Mind Projects, Inc., specializes in corporate stress management, and performance and health enhancement.
Along with Dr. Taylor’s talk about stress management "Release, Relax, Renew," guests will be offered free blood pressure screenings, massage therapy, light refreshments and the chance to win wonderful raffle prizes.
The health disparities involving the African American female population throughout Westchester County manifest in many ways; greater death rates, higher incidences of chronic illnesses, shorter life expectancies, poorer quality of care, less likelihood of seeking medical care, lack of role model support and less income to pay for care. The goal of WOW is to improve some of these disparities by providing health education and outreach, increased access to treatment and screenings, culturally sensitive and competent health care interventions and an overall increase in the dialogue about health care for women of color.
For information about Women Organized Around Wellness or "A Day For Us: Release, Relax, Renew" call (914) 502-1380.
