“Thriving During Stressful Times,” the first of five pre-conference workshops, educated women about the importance of stress management Thursday, Sept. 29.
The series of workshops leads up to the 17th annual Phenomenal Women’s Conference on March 17, 2017. The conference is hosted every year by Kennesaw State University’s Siegel Institute for Leadership, Ethics and Character.
Roxanne Donovan, a KSU professor and licensed psychologist, was the first workshop’s keynote speaker. She consults clients on healthy ways to reduce and manage stress.
“I get great joy and satisfaction in getting people into their safe space and enjoying their lives,” Donovan said.
The workshop began with a complimentary lunch while Donovan discussed common stressors. Attendees participated in a Perceived Stress Scale survey to gauge how high their stress levels were.
Donovan described the psychological and physiological effects of stress, like anxiety, forgetfulness and sleep issues, which often go unrecognized as signs of stress. Solutions to managing stress — like exercise, proper nutrition and sleep — were also advised during the presentation.
“We can’t manage our emotions by pretending they don’t exist,” Donovan said. “We have to work our way through our emotional state.”
She suggested that women find three things every day to be grateful for instead of focusing on what is missing from their lives.
“Your problems don’t disappear, but your ability to cope with your problems increases,” Donovan said.
Each of the pre-conference workshops aims to improve a different aspect of life for women. Crystal Money, program coordinator for the Siegel Institute, organizes the conference and its workshops.
“Women had said that they wished they didn’t have to wait a whole year to have that kind of bonding experience and networking experience [from the conference],” Money said. “We started developing these smaller workshops, and we have one each month leading up to the conference.”
She explained that the purpose of the workshops is two-fold — they build the excitement and anticipation for the conference in the spring, and they also give women a discussion space.
“It’s an environment where they can get together and bond and talk about issues that are important to them,” Money said. “It’s very rewarding being able to provide that space.”
The next workshop, “Shame: The Secret Emotion,” will be held Thursday, Oct. 20, in the Town Point Building.
