This week’s assessments gave me a clearer picture of how I respond to stress and what I need to prioritize as I move further into my career. My Life Stress Inventory score of 140 places me in the “moderate stress” range, which didn’t surprise me given the transitions I’ve had over the past year. What stood out to me more was my Coping and Stress Management Skills profile. I scored 72 in problem-focused coping, meaning I tend to handle stress by taking action, making plans, and trying to change the situation directly. This can be an asset when the stressor is controllable, but as our this week’s lectures emphasized, not all workplace demands can be “fixed”, especially hindrance stressors like role ambiguity or heavy workloads (Swift, 2025).
My Type A personality results highlighted something I’ve noticed but haven’t fully acknowledged: I can be warm and positive most of the time, but when I’m overwhelmed, impatience and irritability show up fast. I tend to be snappy and easily frustrated. That pattern aligns with research showing that the hostility and urgency components of Type A behavior contribute most to long-term health risks.
Looking ahead, I want to be more intentional about protecting my health. For me, that means recognizing when I can’t “solve” a stressor and instead shifting to healthier emotion focused strategies, like taking breaks, reframing negative thoughts, and not overloading myself with commitments. It also means paying attention to early signs of burnout, which our lectures define as emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment (Swift, 2025).
Organizations also play a critical role. Many companies are expanding wellness programs, mental health benefits, flexible scheduling, and return-to-work support as part of a broader approach to safety and health. Research shows that well designed wellness programs can reduce medical costs and absenteeism while improving employee engagement (Berry et al., 2010). Combined with the rise of flexible work, expanded EAPs, and proactive job design, employers are realizing that supporting health is a long term performance strategy.
Overall, the assessments reminded me that sustainable success requires managing both the demands I face and the way I respond to stress.
References
Berry, L. L., Mirabito, A. M., & Baun, W. B. (2010, December 1). What’s the hard return on employee wellness programs? Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2010/12/whats-the-hard-return-on-employee-wellness-programs
Sussex Publishers. (n.d.). Coping & Stress Management Skills Test. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests/career/coping-stress-management-skills-test
Swift, M. (2025). Job Stress. Lecture.