While taking the three stress quizzes I was certainly expecting them to turn out worse. I know, I know, not a great outlook but it’s true. I have a LOT of things going on in my life right now.
Start with work – a really amazing job where I’m doing the things I want and everything is aligning. But, there’s lots of work and lots of things pulling me from different directions.
Then there’s school – as a senior, there are some difficult subjects – in that there are lots of assignments piled on top of each other and some of them are pulling in different directions as well.
Add the service club – where I’m a leader under duress. I find myself in many stages wondering what I’m doing – and then I realize I really like being engaged with my members and the work I do. So push and pull there.
Lastly, my marriage – which isn’t good, but it’s not so bad that I need/want to leave, just uncomfortable. Is it due to the stress or am I realizing it’s not good because of the stress? Maybe this is why my Impatience/Irritability is 44, they state “When you’re stressed or frustrated, you can lash out at others or end up stewing in anger or frustration.” Now that’s spot on.
But, when it comes to managing the stress – with the small spaces I have in life, I do seek out a place to release some of my stress – exercise, time with friends, a space to just chill for a bit. So seeing a Problem-Focused/Coping score of 90 is not surprising. My mental and physical health is key to me because – at around 40 your body just starts to fall apart due to stress. So my goal at 50 is to find a space for it.
But, the part that is the most concerning to me is the Life Stress Inventory score. I only had 6 things on the list – but I’m guessing that they were high enough to pop my 240 score very near the highest level. I guess it’s a good thing I take mandatory “chill” breaks at the end of each quarter by taking vacations, spending quality time with friends, and sometimes getting back to doing some of my artwork.
Whoo for me – I’m doing okay (I hope!)
