Ledger Transcript Advertorial - 1/5/11 - Stress Reduction

Ledger Transcript Advertorial

1-5-11

Stress Reduction

It’s the start of a new year. Resolutions and good intentions abound. You have probably thought about a new weight reduction plan, exercising more, and plans for home remodeling, vacation, etc. Those are all great directions to head in, but I want to suggest another idea. What about a plan to reduce the stress in your life? I bet you have some. What is stressing you? Do you have financial stress? Parenting stress? Job stress?

Let’s look at finances for a minute. Tax season is here. By the end of the month you will have all the paper work you need to get your taxes together. Are you one of those people who wait until April 14 to complete your refund? Do you worry about how much you will owe? How will you pay it?

Or how about the stress of trying to make your income cover your expenses? Have you noticed that you are making the same or less than you were 5 years ago and yet your expenses have increased? How are you supposed to feed your growing family on your shrinking dollars? Your part-time job barely covers the cost of the childcare plus the gas it takes to get to work and back. How does that make sense? Thinking about your finances makes you so tense. You dream of winning the lottery as the solution.

Well, you could try to get a better paying job. Not so easy. Everyone is out there looking for jobs. It is not uncommon to receive over 100 applications for one job opening. How does anyone even get considered, let alone get an interview or get hired? How do you successfully look for work in 2011? It can be very stressful if you don’t know how and you don’t have support from others who are rooting for your success.

As we look at the things that cause stress in our lives, let’s not forget our children. We love them but we don’t always understand them or their ways. Each of our children bring with them their unique personalities, outlooks, and challenges. You have always been good at math, but Joey struggles with his math classes and you can’t seem to get him to get it. Homework time is always a battle between parent and child. Susie and Judy are the cutest little girls, but when they play with each other, the screaming and fighting makes your skin crawl. You hope they don’t kill each other. You begin to wonder why you wanted more than one child…

Finances, taxes, jobs, and parenting. Do any of these things bring you stress? What can you resolve to do this year to reduce the stress in your life? Get some help. There are people who know about money management and can help you learn to live within your means. They will help you learn to set up a realistic budget, figure out how to pay off your credit card debt, or recommend good saving strategies that will work for you. Don’t wait until April 14 to start thinking about doing your taxes. Find a trained professional who understands the tax laws and can make sure you get all the tax credits you qualify for. Maybe you will get money back this year. Challenge yourself to find that job you have always wanted. Take advantage of services that will help you develop a resume that really communicates your skills and experience, learn how to use the Internet in your job search, or take a course to learn a new job skill. Relax and enjoy your children. Get connected with other parents so that you can learn from each other and be a better parent. Join a class to learn new approaches to parenting.

Start your stress reduction plan today!