Radio and television mirror (July-Dec 1948)

IS A SCIENCE I'LL wager that a lot of you, like me, are so plain tuckered out at the end of a day's work that you sometimes can't enjoy having fun. (More times than you care to admit, I'll wager.) Well, as you know, each week on the Family Counselor portion of The Second Mrs. Burton, we have a visit from a recognized authority in one of the many fields that are of interest to women. When Miss Claire Mann, the noted authority on health and beauty, came to see me, she passed on so many sensible tips that I knew you'd want to hear about them, too. In her New York studio, Claire Mann has taught thousands of men and women the science of relaxing — and if you don't think relaxing is a science, just listen to Miss Mann! "Women of all ages and from all walks of life come to me with their problems, physical and emotional. They're tense or run-down from 'occupational fatigue,' " said Miss Mann. I interrupted to find out exactly what she meant by that term, and she explained it this way: "It's just simply this — women, housewives in particular, don't know how to relax during the day's work. That's where the trouble starts. You take a man, for instance — if he's behind a desk, he's able to find time for a cigarette between crises. A truck driver can hop out of his truck for a cup of coffee." "Do you mean that a woman can find the same sort of relaxation in her home?" I asked. "Yes, she can, but unfortunately most women don't know how to," admitted our Family Counselor. "As long as she is in her home, the average woman always sees things about her that need mending, or dusting, or fixing. Result is — occupational fatigue. Sometimes it takes the form of a real pain, or perhaps — and this is more common — a good case of nerves. Then over-tension follows. Occupational fatigue can creep up slowly and wear you down. In its early stages it may make you feel frustrated, tired — or just simply bored. Radio programs, such as yours, Mrs. Burton, help to alleviate some of the causes of her trouble because they help her to forget her own problems. And I find that musical therapy is a fine treatment for her condition because it brings relaxation. When you start the tedious part of your work, make it a point to turn on your favorite sort of music, Bach or boogie-woogie, whatever it may be — and let it carry you through your work. "That's why we, in our studio, are so successful," she continued. "The simple, obvious way is the best way to cure nervous pain from lack of relaxation. If you do want some homework though, I might tell you about the following four points that have proved helpful for so many housewives. First: Empty your mind. Second: Breathe deeply with long, smooth exhalations. Third: Relax the muscles so that they become heavy. Fourth: Follow the music and learn to absorb it. What could be more simple?" By the time the interview was over, I felt completely relaxed! If you have a problem that you would like to hear discussed, won't you send it along to me, in care of Radio Mirror? By TERRY BURTON HeuJtb and beauty advice from authority Claire Mann (r.) to Second Mrs. Burton and her radio audience. Every Wednesday, The Second Mrs. Burton (played by Patsy Campbell) is visited by an authority on some phase of women's-world interest. Through this department, Terry Burton shares some of these visits with Radio Mirror readers. The Second Mrs. Burton may be heard each Monday through Friday at 2 P.M., EDT, on CBS stations.