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December 2008 netPsychologist.com Newsletter
Tools and Tips For Success With Your Seasonal Stress Challenge.
  Being Mindful of Your Stress Level Is A Good Start!
Test can help us do that. This test is one of the best I've seen. It can give accurate feedback on a person's current level of stress. There is the Holmes test and others, but this one has been used successfully in a variety of reputable research including work done at the Mayo's Clinic. So, I pass it on to you for your own benefit. Perhaps it will help you get through the Season of Stress and make it to January.

When you're ready, click on the link below. You will see a picture of dolphins. They are exactly alike. However, some people see slight differences in the two images. The research suggests these differences in perception correlate with heightened levels of stress.

Count the number of differences you see (if any) to know your stress score. The higher the count, the greater your stress level.

When finished, close the picture to return to this newsletter.

...............................Best Stress Test............................

So, How To Handle Stress?
    Ya Gotta Laugh!
Norman Cousins and others have laughed themselves healthy. Laughter does many things for your health:
  • It oxygenates the brain. Anxious or stressed brains are short on oxygen. When uptight, we pant or shallow breathe.
  • Laughter, even smiling can change moods. The postures of the body trigger various peptides and neurotransmitters which in turn stimulate emotional states. Want to feel happy, smile and eventually the feeling will follow.
  • You can't make yourself feel happy, but you can "fake" laughter and smiles. Fake or not, feelings will fall in sync with your actions.
  • It is difficult to laugh at a good joke and not be spontaneous for a moment. That moment of no self consciousness gives positive feelings a chance to come forth and have a positive impact on your future.

I do not know of a better way to combat and manage holiday stress than to laugh and not take it all too seriously. After all, it will soon be January 2009 and Spring is just around the corner (as well as the rest of your life)!

Ho, Ho Ho!

 
 
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