Did it ever occur to anyone that folks that manage their stress & time better tend to become leaders/bossess?

Listen up people. This may sound cruel. However, there are only 2 ways to reduce stress. #1 is to put yourself first. In my house and in my job, I am #1 and everyone else is #2. I say this because when I allow myself to get too stressed because of others, I can't provide for those who depend upon me.

#2 is to say NO. You will be amazed how wonderful it is say NO instead of YES. You will feel empowered by not being dragged into a lot of silly things - big and small - that will eat you alive. This will allow you time to concentrate on the really important stuff, which further reduces stress. You can't say NO all the time. But, you can say it more than you think possible. And, most importantly, you will say NO to YOURSELF to prevent you from doing things that will stress you out.

Therefore, in the last 3 years I have made my health priority number one. Good food, good exercise, good sleep, time off from work. I make sure I get those and to hell with everyone else and everything else if I don't. I have also rid myself of many of the unneeded money wasters in my life, allowing me to be able to retire much sooner than I previously thought.

As a result, I have re-made my life. I have more respect for myself and can better attend to those who really need me. I feel like I am twenty years younger. And, I am healthier than I was 20 years ago.

This approach will create conflicts with others who would like to off-load their stress on you. But, don't let it happen. Your own life is too valuable.

Wake up evertyone - life is too short to be stressed out by the silly makings of our own creation.....

I definitely agree with the fact that today's demanding environment only adds to the amount of stress to individuals. I also agree that lower level work status can be more stressful, depending on which baboon to whom one reports.

Organizing and preparing one's lifestyle (work and personal) defintely helps us feel better from the known v. unknown. But, stress is created when one is not prepared for the unknown as well. Risk management of our work and personal environments is a great tool to assist us in better understanding and preparing us for how might we react in such circumstances.

Creating classes or speaking with someone who is talented in risk management would also assist us in the cause of stress rather than in the reaction of stress.

If one is not "happy" or comfortable with the situation, in the US, one has opportunities to change the situation, whether in changing jobs, relationships, expectations, etc. This would assist in taking control of the causes of stress, rather than not taking control of what is causing stress.

Better communication abilities also helps with stress, no matter who or what you do in life. Having the ability to negotiate stressful situations provides a level of control over being a victim of stress inducing environments.

I think levels of stress ultimately comes down to whether one can control one's environment, and how each of us plays a role in taking control of accepting the behavior that others or environments cause.

Understanding risk management and developing better communication in negotiating stressful situations is really the key to addressing how and whether we deal well with stress.

I control stress providing volunteer disaster relief services. Each time I am called to help those in need I receive far more than I provide.
Also, I mentor youth in nature, fishing, and hunting. The joy of giving to these opportunities forces a kind of reality check, and provides continuous joy, even in the hard times.

Physical exercise like Yoga is a great stress reliever. Yoga also helps you breathe more oxygen into your lungs. When you are stressed, you tend to take shallow breaths and are not always getting enough oxygen to your body. I enjoy Bikam yoga because you get physical and mental benefits.

In addition to physical exercise, meditation has made the biggest difference in my life. Fifteen minutes of meditation a day calms my mind and body down. I have also read that just taking a 3 minute break twice a day to meditate is just as good.