South nurse calls for role awareness among TCC coeds
by Gala Trimble, Reporter

   Life is a balancing act, the South Campus coordinator of health services has learned from experience.
   Flo Stanton, an RN with over 20 years at the college, kicked off the first of three monthly Health Forum presentations last week for Women in New Roles, a college credit program designed to assist women returning to school.
  With her multimedia presentation Balancing Multiple Roles, Stanton pulled women into active participation.
   At her invitation, students called out their many roles: mother, wife, daughter, employee, student, church member, volunteer.
   Stanton added the missing roles of woman and self, saying that self is the only role that does not involve other people.
   Women need to be role models, not martyrs, Stanton said, telling participants that each one of them has the critical responsibility of taking care of her self.
   In an exercise in which students assessed their five most important roles and the time they spent fulfilling each one, several students said they realized they were out of balance. Women in the group shared that their rankings revealed some were mothers without enough time for their children while others spent most of their time dealing with their children.
   Not one participant mentioned spending any time for herself in the pie chart she filled out in the exercise.
   Stanton explained that once a woman loses sight of herself, frustration, anger and anxiety begin to exact a heavy toll on that individual, and it is up to her to find her own balance.
   Telling of the loss of her home to fire one Friday years ago, Stanton said in spite of the chaos caused by the loss, she went on to teach her class the following Monday night because it was a point of normalcy within a time of crisis. She said she was seeking balance in her life.
   To resolve role conflicts, Stanton recommended certain activities that can help.
   "Establish both long-term and short-term timelines and goals, and communicate them to family, friends and others who want their time and attention," she said.
   Stanton advised the group to let go of control by delegating chores and responsibilities to others and not worrying if they do the job differently.
   "Leave nonessential tasks, like making the bed, undone sometimes-the bed doesn't care," she said.
   Communicating with family is important, Stanton said. Women should make making calendar appointments for time with children, time with husband, give everyone a To Do list and help children learn to make their own decisions.
   "Give good instructions and follow up to make sure it is done," she said.
   Stanton also stressed the importance of pamper-me time, even if it is just a few moments of quiet time.
   "I have to have a right relationship with me to have a right relationship with others," she said.
   Stanton said many students seek help in the health services center for stress-related problems, adding that stress can trigger physical problems. She also said the problem is much more pronounced now than even 10 years ago.
   Positive Self-Talk will be the Health Forum topic Wednesday, Oct. 1. Stanton timed the presentation to give the students some guidance and encouragement as they face mid-term.
   On Wednesday, Nov. 5, Stanton will provide further support for the end of the semester with Laughing Your Way Through Stress.
   Students can invite guests to these free programs. All seminars begin at 6 p.m. in the Forum Room in the South Campus Student Center.