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4 September 2008
Dear Friend
Hi there! Whatever season of life we’re in, I imagine that most of us know what it’s to feel stressed, and the effect it can have on our health, relationships, sleeping pattern…
Different things can cause us stress, including family difficulties, money worries or pressures at work. I know the time I’m most stressed is generally the week before going on holiday, when I often set myself unrealistic deadlines.
In this issue, David Oliver gives some useful insights into surviving stress. I particularly like his idea of a ‘stone’s throw’– try it out the next time you need to recharge your batteries.
Also in this issue:
Best wishes
Katharine Hill, Care for the Family
PS You’ll find details of The Stress Survival Guide and Teenagers! What Every Parent Has to Know – and other events – at the end of this email.
Article
Stress is a fact of life – at work, at home, even when you’re supposed to be ‘relaxing’ (Go to any football match this weekend and you’ll see how stressed people can get!) But if stress is unavoidable, does that mean we just have to put up with it? Not according to David Oliver, presenter of Care for the Family’s The Stress Survival Guide event.
So how does David handle stress himself? Here are some of his secrets… 
Article
The most basic reason it is vital to keep our children busy is not to use the teenage years to introduce them to the wonders of the arts, great literature, or even for them to become sporting stars. It is simply to make them so exhausted that they don’t have the energy to get into trouble. The very last thing the testing teenager needs is a six-week school holiday where he is at home alone, with no idea what to do on day one, never mind day thirty-one. The same is true of evenings and weekends.
Article
In her twenties, Debra Searle rowed across the Atlantic, completely alone. Her story of overcoming tremendous challenges, and her commitment to live life to the full, is an inspiration. You can read Debra’s story on our website for 20s and 30s – www.lookingatlife.org.uk
Sign up here to receive the monthly ezine for 20s and 30s. And if, like me, you’re a little older, please tell your younger friends and relatives about the website and ezine. It’s packed with thought-provoking articles and practical suggestions on many aspects of life.
Article
We celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary this year, and so it’s a while since I experienced the ups and downs of being single. However, I have a number of good friends who are single, and who are a helpful reminder that sometimes it’s good to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. Because when we do this, we become more sensitive to the lives and needs of those around us.
This article gives some really helpful insights into singleness, how you can be supportive, and the things to avoid saying. You can read ‘Singleness – complete as one’ here.
If you’re single, let us know about your experiences. What do you like the most? What do you struggle with? Email KatharineHill@cff.org.uk – we’d love to hear from you.
News
Keep an eye out for the autumn issue of ‘Family’ magazine if you’re on our mailing list. It’s full of insights into the support that Care for the Family offers, real-life stories of how people have been helped, and snippets of charity news. You can read ‘Family’ online here (PDF) or request to have it delivered to your door.
Audio
Life can sometimes be so busy that you hardly have time to eat a proper meal. Some days you may find yourself rushing in from work, grabbing something quick to eat, and then rushing out again…
Over the years, my husband Richard and I have discovered that one of the best ways of setting aside time to communicate with one another in our marriage is to sit down together in the evening for a meal. This is something we have to work at and I can’t deny that sometimes it slips, but when it does, we notice the difference and try to get back on track again.
Have a listen to this issue’s Family Matters – even IKEA gets a mention! Listen here
Events
Here are the events that are taking place this autumn. Teenagers! What Every Parent Has to Know is being held in 9 venues, and The Stress Survival Guide, with David Oliver, is taking place in Bletchley, Leicester and Bracknell in November.
