PUBLIC EMPLOYEES BENEFIT TRUST (PEBT) BENEFITS REPORT
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 6

Avoid Stress During the Holidays

May people endure an overwhelming amount of stress, especially during the holidays. What is meant to be a happy, cheerful time turns out to be just the opposite.

Even with the additional stress, the holidays can still be enjoyable. Here a few suggestions:

• Be realistic. Decide what you will and will not do. Make a list and post it in a prominent place so you won't forget.
• Ask for help. Delegate tasks. Use services such as shipping directly from the store and free gift wrapping when they are available. Don't try to do it all yourself.
• Respect yourself. Don't compare your holiday preparations or gift choices with anyone else's.
• Stay within your budget. Spending too much will stress you out long after the holidays are over, and if that expensive gift isn't perfect, you will feel doubly bad.
• Give yourself permission to have fun. It's okay to laugh when things seem to be going wrong or getting too stressful. It will help you cope and carry on.
• Help children. In many cultures, the winter holidays are a time of giving and sharing with family and friends. Often, we are asked to help others as well, and none are more deserving of our help than children.

Take action by volunteering for local schools, youth programs, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, youth sports, Scouting organizations or children's art programs. Support organizations that work on behalf of all children in the United States, such as the Child Care Action Campaign in New York City and the Children's Defense Fund in Washington, D.C.

If you find that the holidays are getting you down - because of concerns about money, family relationships or something else - you should take advantage of the many social service agencies available to those in need of help.

Hospitals and doctors within your medical plan care for thousands of patients who produce millions of dollars in claims annually. It is, therefore, not surprising that occasionally a bill is sent out in error.

You should never get a bill for authorized services. If you do, then it's a mistake and PacFed can fix it.

Reactions to these occasional mistakes range from apathy to panic. The most appropriate reaction is somewhere in between. Although we don't usually recommend that you pay the bill, neither do we recommend that you ignore it.

After all, if the mistake isn't brought to the attention of the proper authorities, it could be turned over to a collection agency and your credit may be adversely affect. Below are a few don'ts if you ever get a bill in error.

Don't get angry! - People make mistakes. PacFed fixes them.

Don't get frustrated! - Let PacFed's staff of professionals do the work for you.

Don't do nothing! - Inform your human resources department of PacFed of the problem.