Georgia Hosts Mind/Body Health Fair
by Communications Staff
April 23, 2008-On a typical Saturday afternoon at the Perimeter Mall in Atlanta, shoppers have their minds on bargains, not health. But on March 29, approximately 750 visitors to the mall also learned about healthy ways to manage their stress.
Hosted by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Georgia Psychological Association (GPA), the 2008 Mind/Body Health Fair paired workshops by local psychologists including "Money and Stress," "Managing Workplace Stress" and "Cooking Tips for the Stress Eater and Comfort Eater" with yoga and cooking demonstrations. Sponsoring businesses included Trader Joes, REI and Spa Nordstrom.
The Georgia event served as the pilot health fair for APA's Public Education Campaign (PEC) for Mind/Body Health, which positions psychologists as experts trained to help the public understand the intersection of psychological and physical health. One of the campaign's messages is the importance of adopting healthy behaviors to manage stress.
Members of APA and GPA were on hand to talk with passersby about the help psychologists can provide during stressful times, including in the wake of Atlanta's recent tornado. The psychologists offered visitors APA tip sheets on managing stress and on making lasting, positive lifestyle and behavior changes. GPA volunteers distributed a survey of the event as well as pledge cards that visitors were invited to fill out and keep as a part of their efforts to live more healthfully.
"The message that there is a mind-body connection got through loud and clear," said PEC coordinator Nancy McGarrah, PhD, of the Georgia Psychological Association.
A female participant from Roswell, GA, summed up in her survey responses the fair's positive effect. "I plan on taking control over stress rather than letting it take control over me," she wrote.
Articles and tip sheets on managing stress and the mind-body connection can be downloaded from apahelpcenter.org.
GeorgiaHostsMind-BodyHealthFair.pdf
(46.43 Kb)
