Who's the Most Stressed?????

How to deal with stress? Everyday stress and major stressors? First, win...at all costs...the "who's the most stressed contest?" Friend have a headache? Yours is much worse. Co-worker worrying about a deadline? Yours is even bigger. Once you've established you're the most stressed of anyone you know, you can feel secure knowing you're at least winning the stress contest.

Next-arm yourself with as much ammo as possible. Inhale "how to" articles on relieving stress from your daily life. Exercise, diet, journal, seek out support from friends and family-yeah, right. Now you can stress about not having enough time or energy to exercise, diet, journal and spend time with friends and family. While you're at it, why not check into a day spa and treat yourself to a massage, facial or pedicure? You can stress about how to pay for it later.

Another popular idea is that life today is more stressful than at any other time. Our parents and their parents didn't have the stress we do. Hello, the Depression? Two World Wars?

Here's my plan...I promise to avoid the trap of the "I'm more stressed than you discussion" and to offer a smile or reassuring word or two to those whose stress-ometers are bulging. I'll reassure them that they, indeed, are the most stressed of anyone I know and that I'm happy to listen to their tale of woes.

After that, I'll find that, indeed, my life is just peachy and I wouldn't trade one crazy minute with anyone. It's my stress, my crazy world, and it's where I live. There. I feel better already.

Maybe it was the massage...