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The roots of stress are many; in reality MANY as in thousands of events in our human existence may cause stress. You could make a list of all the activities you do in one day. All the ACTIONS taking place from the moment one wake up to the moment one is finally getting unconscious at night. The number of entries into this listing is huge. This list differs from person to person and from culture to culture. It could be that hundreds of activities listed may potentially trigger stress. From this exercise we may conclude that stress is part of our life. An interesting question is this: How many hours of your day, are you under stress? Now, the good news is that when the stress is limited to a short period of time, it could be seen as a positive thing in your life. That kind of stress may even serve as a motivator to complete something or to continue in a given project. Now, on the other side of the matter, if you don't get a handle on your stress and it becomes long-term, it can seriously interfere with your job, family life, and health. More than half of Americans say they fight with friends and loved ones because of stress, and more than 70% say they experience real physical and emotional symptoms from it. A second interesting question is this: What are the five entries of the list you prepared you recognize as the most stressful of all? Across the nation, WORK is at the top as a stress trigger event.

Work Related Stress • Being unhappy in your job • Having a heavy workload or too much responsibility • Working long hours • Having poor management, unclear expectations of your work, or no say in the decision-making process • Working under dangerous conditions • Being insecure about your chance for advancement or risk of termination • Having to give speeches in front of colleagues • Facing discrimination or harassment at work, especially if your company isn't supportive • Working for an idiot

Life Stress Causes • Loss of a job • Increase in financial obligations • Getting married • Moving to a new home • Chronic illness or injury • Emotional problems (depression, anxiety, anger, grief, guilt, low self-esteem) • Taking care of an elderly or sick family member

In addition to all these external causes there are times stress comes from inside. You can stress yourself out just by worrying about things. Some of the factors that can lead to stress are: • Fear and Uncertainty • Attitude and perceptions • Unrealistic Expectations • Life Changes

Finally Christmas Stress PVC launched an open opinion survey across several cities in Texas asking married adults (18 and up) one question: How do you feel about Christmas this year? The following were the answers to the question. The answers listed below are the ones offered at least five times and organized by higher to lower frequency

Although this opinion survey was not conducted for any specific intention other than offering a view of what folks are saying abount the issue, we may ask if you see differnce betwen men and women on the isseu of Christmas?

Dr. Linday Talley a Behavioral Theorist recently offered a message titled Why Stress at Christmas & the Holidays. With her permission here you have a copy of her message: Why Stress at Christmas & the Holidays Christmas and the Holidays can be a stressful time for some. Perhaps you might experience family conflicts arising over how much to spend on presents or the party. Perhaps you are not looking forward to Uncle John getting drunk at your house on Christmas day. Whatever the reasons for your stress, perhaps it’s time to think about the positive aspects of Christmas and the Holidays. In a study on happiness, participants ages 18-80 noted what mattered to them most in order to have a good Christmas. Here is what they said (ranked in the order of importance) and I have taken the liberty to share my own Christmas cheer with you: 1. The time you spend with your family. This includes relatives and the feeling of closeness you get from this time. Look for the positives of this time and minimize the negative aspects. My sister is coming for Christmas Eve and Christmas day and then for the after Christmas sales. I am really looking forward to this! 2. The fun activities of Christmas and the Holidays—eating, drinking (in moderation), and the parties (getting dressed up, seeing old friends, and meeting new ones). I have already been to one Christmas party this year and I thought before I left to the house to attend that I would only stay for one hour and then come home. Well, I stayed for 2.5 hours and had the best time. I talked with folks I hadn’t seen for 1-2 years and it was great catching up with them. See the possibilities instead of creating limitations. 3. Attending religious activities. I consider myself more spiritual than religious but I love going to Candlelight services with friends and my sister. Houston has the Uptown Tree lighting and I loved going there while I lived in Houston, This year, I am making my pilgrimage to Houston for the Zoo Lights. 4. Maintaining and creating new Christmas traditions or rituals. My sister and I put up my decorations the day after Thanksgiving. It is an all day affair and I am so thankful for her help since I put up 3 Christmas trees! We always attend candlelight services and then come home and read “Twas the Night Before Christmas” before going to bed. 5. Spending money on others for gifts. I begin shopping for next year’s Christmas the day after Christmas and then I shop all year long. It is so much fun to shop until you find just the right present for each person! I love surprising some friends who live near to me by dropping off my homemade cookies on Christmas Eve. 6. Receiving gifts is a special joy! My sister and I open presents on Christmas morning—after Santa has come. What is fun is that on Christmas Eve, after we say good night and turn off the lights, I see my sister use her phone flashlight to sneak out into the living room and “stuff” my stock and Daisy and Bruce’s stockings (the dogs) with wonderful treats! And then after she go to bed, I watch the clock for another 15 minutes and then sneak out to “stuff” her stocking and put out any large gifts for her that I chose not to wrap. Too much fun! Who says there is no Santa! 7. Helping others. I try to be helpful to others all throughout the year so throughout the year, as I travel, I take the toiletries from the hotels I stay and bring them home for the wounded veterans. I pick up stray dogs and cats but I also extend an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas Eve dinner to someone who is spending the holidays by themselves. Although some people like to be alone, I want to make certain they have a choice. For me, Christmas produces more happiness than stress. In the study, 75% of participants said they were satisfied with their Christmas experience and 44% said they experienced stress. What was interesting was that older men and women experienced more Christmas cheer (satisfaction) than younger men and women. But whether you are young or old, I wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a wonderful, prosperous New Year! Dr. Linda Talley Reference Kasser, T., & Sheldon, K. (2002). What makes for a merry Christmas? Journal of Happiness Studies, 3, 313-329.

Dr. Linda Talley Behavioral Theorist Ranked #18 for Global Gurus--Body Language & #30 for Global Gurus--Communication President, Linda Talley & Associates, Inc.-- speaking, training, webinars, and coaching for improved personal and business performance through advanced communication strategies resulting in greater productivity and profitability. Visit my web site:  www.LindaTalley.com Follow me on twitter   @LindaTalley 281-660-0041

Christmas Stress Is This Another Reason To Be Stressed?

PuraVidaCommunity

Before getting deeper into the article, we ought to offer a definition of STRESS. The word stress is used and mentioned thousands of times per hour in people’s conversations, in hundreds of television programs, in radio, in the news, at the school and even in our prayers. Yes, there are hundreds of people asking for the blessings of not having more stress in their life. Definition of stress: Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. Most dictionaries offer the following words as synonyms of stress:  Strain, pressure, (nervous) tension, worry, anxiety, trouble and difficulty.

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