After Hours HEALTH
STRESS- BUSTING TIP OF THE MONTH
Pump a little iron
WELL-TRAINED MUSCLES produce an enzyme that purges the body of kynurenine, a substance formed during stress that can lead to depression, a new study finds. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden exposed two groups of mice to stressors such as loud noises and flashing lights. After five weeks, the group of normal mice developed depressive behaviour, whereas the group bred with the characteristics of well-trained muscles showed no depressive symptoms. — Tamar Satov
How I Find Balance
Erin Farrell, 31, associate director of finance, St. Lawrence College, Brockville, Ont. I LIVE IN KINGSTON, ONT., WHERE THE MAIN ST. LAWRENCE CAMPUS IS BASED,
but all the finance administration is done in Brockville, so I work there. It’s an hour’s drive each way. Having a long commute is not ideal, but I use it to my advantage — it actually helps me get organized. On my way to work, I have time to plan my day in my head and on my way home, I can make a mental list of everything I need to do there. Sometimes I also come up with solutions for issues I’ve been dealing with during the day. It’s nice to be able to decompress on the way home. I don’t find the drive stressful unless the weather is horrible, or there are construction delays. But if I know the weather’s going to be bad, I can work in Kingston. I’ve also found an alternate route I can take when there’s a lot of roadwork — it’s along the water, so it’s very scenic and relaxing. I’m lucky to have a wonderful husband, and I think the fact he and I
constantly work as a team is another key to making our family life balanced and happy. (We have two boys; a one-year-old and a three-year-old.) On Sundays, we plan our meals for the week, and during the week, he gets home before I do so he starts dinner. I’ve also learned not to sweat the small stuff: my house isn’t always spick and span and my garden probably has a few too many weeds. Instead of constantly attending to those tasks, in the evenings and on weekends you’ll find me playing, dancing and laughing with the kids. To me, that’s what’s most important. — As told to Wendy Haaf
56 | CPA MAGAZINE | MARCH 2015 Stress has a gender bias
YOUNG WOMEN WITH CORONARY HEART DISEASE are much more vulnerable to emotional stress than their male counterparts, according to research presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association late last year. The study put 534 heart patients through a mental stress test and found that women aged 55 or younger suffered a reduction in blood flow to the heart that was three times greater than that of men the same age. The gender difference was smaller for those aged 56 to 64, and there was no difference between men and women over the age of 65. The results may partially explain why female cardiac patients are more likely to suffer fatal heart attacks than male patients. — TS
Ruth Kaplan
JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty Images
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