Got Stress? You aren't alone, survey says

You betcha you got stress, according to a recent Net Future Institute survey of executives and managers in 50 countries. A lot of it too. More than 79 percent said they are either highly or moderately stressed. Yee-oww, that’s a lot of nail-biting, teeth-grinding, coffee-drinking and tensed shoulders in corporate America. Only 2 percent are not at all stressed (these blissed-out dudes may not even know they’re going to lose a job they’re so blissed out!). About 44 percent said they are as stressed as their superior is, and 27 percent are more stressed than their superior — they say. What causes all this stress? In this order: budget constraints, deadlines, customer demands, and number of hours worked, with email overload and lack of down time not far behind. Said one respondent to the institute’s survey (www.netfutureinstitute.com): “One of the major sources of stress in my life is the lack of a defining line between ‘work’ and my ‘personal’ life. With the advent of cell phones, portable PCs and PDAs, I am expected to be reachable and responsive to work demands 24/7. Tell me again how technology makes my life easier?”

SNEWS View: Read it and weep. Yes, we are somehow prisoners of our work with all this fancy-schmantzy technology. But read it and be joyful too: Fitness activities, indoor and out, can be touted — and truly are — the moments that one can enjoy with no stress, just a cleansing feeling with yourself, family and friends.