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EDITOR'S PAGE
to doing so is to realize that stress doesn't exist in the physical world, even
though we talk about it as if it's something we can see and touch. As Wayne
Dyer puts it, "There is no stress in the world, only stressful thoughts. No one can
create negativity or stress within you. Only you can do that by virtue of how you
process your world."
Lynda Dowman Simon, RN, OR manager of the Mercy Clinic ENT Surgery
Center in Springfield, Mo., is one of the lucky ones who's discovered this. "I am
not a stress junkie," says Ms. Simon. "I try to stay level-headed and work through
issues rather than letting them work through me. Your response to stress is
learned. I prefer to remain professional and cool."
Stress only resides between our ears, yet it can stimulate our central nervous system, causing a "natural high," says Concordia University neuroscientist and addiction specialist Jim Pfaus. "By activating our arousal and attention systems, stressors can also wake up the neural circuitry underlying wanting and craving — just like drugs do," says Mr. Pfaus in a recent article.
Brooke A. Day, administrator of the Hastings Surgical Center in West
Hastings, Neb., likes the high she gets from what she calls "positive stress."
Such as? "When you're making a deal or wondering if a doc who's selling his
shares will accept the price, it can be kind of thrilling," says Ms. Day.
It's Friday afternoon as I write this. The weekend is nearly here. Here's hoping
I find comfort in the fact that my dear friend stress will be first to greet me
when I get back to the office Monday morning. OSM
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | O C T O B E R 2012
