单项选择题
A: I’ve heard about the recent survey that found a third of us are living with extreme stress. Well, as the holiday is approaching, the shopping season kicks in, it’s not gonna get any easier. So we’ve decided it’s time to enlist some stress reducing help from professionals. Nice to have you here, Dr. Daniel Bun-Murray. I know that you also write articles for some fashion magazines, right This is a time of the year when all of us, I think, get so overloaded. And I know this is something that many of your patients or clients have complained about, isn’t that right
B: Absolutely, absolutely, one of the things they’re telling me about is as they’re coming down to the end of the year, they’re feeling a lot of pressure with work deadlines, financial pressure, family obligation, and of course, shopping for the holiday.
A: Yeah, speaking of the holidays, how does the stress just escalate during this time of the year
B: The bottom line is women still bear the burden for the holidays. They are still, you know, whether they are working or not working, or single, or whatever the case may be, they are the ones to sort of, you know, make the holiday, and they feel that was to keep up everything else that they’re doing during the year and not only make the holiday but make the perfect holiday.
A: Yes, we feel like "I’ve got to be the one who has to do it all alone. "
B: Yes, exactly. They have to make it all beautiful, they have to make it all delicious, they have to meet their children’s expectation, and they have to manage all those family relationships. And think about it, these are the relationships, that usually you don’t necessarily see the people during the year all the time. And yet they all come to your home and you have been together for a long period. And that can actually add a lot of stress.
A: So you say " investigating old stories to help manage families," what do you mean by that
B: What I mean by that is I think women often feel the expectation because they are thinking "I wanna do it like I remembered my mother doing it. " Or "I wanna do it differently from how my mother did it," but these old stories about how perfect they’re supposed to be, they come from somewhere. And if you understand where that expectation is coming from, you’ll have a better chance of being more objective about it. You know, " maybe I don’t have to bake 100 different varieties of cookies; maybe that’s not where the load comes from. Maybe that’s something my mother chose to do but I’m gonna do it differently. " And part of the investigating, a lot of women feel guilt around this time of a year too, right
A: Oh, sure.
B: That’s the part of the thing that you have to get rid of. They tell you when you get on an airplane that in a case of an emergency when the oxygen mask comes down, put it on yourself first. You have to save yourself before you can help others. So it’s really important that you let go of the guilt, prioritize and learn when you have to say no to something that you are just not able to do.
A: And moving onto money, because there’s another big issue on the holidays, you say it’s time to realign expectations, what do you mean by that
B: I mean first of all you have to decide what really matters. And you know, again I advocate for the relationships, so if you’re stressed out about money, if you are overspending, if you are gonna put yourself into debt later, then you are going to be an anxious, grumpy morn that actually no one is gonna really wanna be around.
A: And when the credit card bill comes, we would be even grumpier in January.
B: Right. It would also stress your relationship and so you really need to make up a plan that’s reasonable for after the new year.
A: Exactly. A solid financial plan is what we all need.
B: Yeah, get a budget, and do something really simple like avoiding the holiday crowd and just shopping online. You can shop by price and a lot of retailers have special programs where you can get free gift wrap and free package and delivery. So it’s easy and cost-effective.
A: Some of the burden, some of the stress also with husbands and boyfriends, partners. Then how should we deal with it
B: The important thing is to really share the burden. You know, the interesting thing is, actually, people like to be needed. If you say to your sister "You know what, this year we are doing a potluck for Thanksgiving, can you bring the sweet potatoes Can you bring the dessert" She’ll be more than happy to do that. People actually like to contribute and feel that they are part of things and they are needed. But women hate to ask. They feel like "That makes me less then, if I farm it out. " And actually it is really a mistake. And if you would ask, ask your spouse. "Hey, you take this part of shopping list and I will take this part of shopping list. " He’s actually gonna feel good. And it’s not dumping it. So you really should ask, you both will feel better.
A: And feeling better is another really key topic. We should really focus on our wellness, our health during the holiday, right
B: Absolutely, during this stressful time, the health issues can become, you know, more prevalent. So you really need to make sure that you are eating right, you are getting enough rest and you are also listening to your body. And give yourself a little time out occasionally. You know, take time to meditate or just to focus on yourself. Because after that, people, because they get anxious and stressed, they drink more during the holidays, they eat to satisfy their anxiety and they drink more alcohol, they go to more parties and you don’t feel good. So actually do other things to relieve your stress and be mindful of the overeating and the overdrinking.
A: Right! Dr. Daniel Burt-Murray, thanks so much.
B: Thank you.
A. He is a physician.
B. He is a psychologist.
C. He is a Ph. D.
D. He is an editor for a fashion magazine.