We bring holiday stress upon ourselves, survey finds

We bring holiday stress upon ourselves, survey findsWe bring holiday stress upon ourselves, survey findsAmericans are pushed to the brink with holiday stress, overwhelmed by financial concerns, family events, gift shopping, and just trying to balance it all like so many spinning plates.Some of the pain is self-inflicted 1 in 4 say theyve taken on more than they can realistically get done, shows a new survey byVitalsmarts, a leadership training company.Ready to dropThe top 5 holiday causes of stress were found to be56% Keeping up with, well, everyone, from activities to expectations50% Money, or lack thereof46% Shopping.33% Family events26% Maintaining physical healthMost of us struggle to keep up with the schedules and pressures of non-holiday life, says Justin Hale, co-creator of Getting Things Done Training by VitalSmarts. When you pile on additional commitments and ersatzdarsteller your to-do list, your stress levels grow exponentially.Cant say noAs stressed as we say we are, it might not hurt if some of us slowed down a little. A fair number of respondents suffered from all-or-nothing attitudes when it came to holiday activities, which only contributed to the stress.27% percent never declined an invitation for a party or event10% say they had no rules for their health or diet during the holidays, with 44% figuring that theyd start dieting or eating healthy in January.10% said they drink to excess and always needed a designated driver after a holiday party.29% cant stick to a budget during the holidays and rely on a credit card.Nearly 60 percent of people dont have clear lists of their commitments and its hard to renegotiate commitments you dont remember making or dont keep track of, Hale said.It looks like there are a few areas we can help ourselves cut back to make the season happier instead of stuffing our gullets with as much food, alcohol, social events, and credit card debt as humanly possible. Slow holidays movement, anyone?