My relationship with stress is up and down. Over the years I have dealt with it in healthy ways and some very unhealthy ways. I think part of maturing is realizing what makes you tick and how you respond to adverse circumstances. Without challenges in life, you wouldn’t grow as a person and you wouldn’t evolve. I wasn’t surprised at my results. I scored a 180 on my stress inventory test. A lot of my stress is outside of my personal life and more directly related to school and my schedule. I have a lot of bandwidth when it comes to filling up my time with friends, family, and responsibilities. I work well in structure, but that doesn’t make the structure any less stressful.
The psychology today test informed me that I have problem-focused coping with a score of 62. It states: “Your results indicate that you sometimes use problem-focused strategies in order to cope with stress. Although using these methods is generally ineffective when dealing with situations you can’t change or control, they tend to be rather handy when the stressor you are facing is controllable. Thus, in certain cases, it’s a good idea for you to take action in order to modify or take charge of a stressor in order to better cope with it.” A life motto of mine has always been to control what I can control, so I think this assessment is pretty accurate. I try my best to look at the silver linings and appreciate where I am more fortunate than others. I think it keeps me grounded.
In the type A personality test my impatience and irritability score was 50. It states: “Your interactions with others, while generally characterized by warmth and tolerance, are also at times tinged with impatience and hostility. When you’re stressed or frustrated, you can lash out at others or end up stewing in anger or frustration. Even your moderate score may put you at risk because this aspect of the Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP) can not only be extremely harmful to relationships, it is also very damaging to your health. While originally it was thought that global TABP was the culprit in coronary heart disease, research now shows that hostility, impatience, and the other related traits are likely the real source of the problem. Based on your results here, you may be at an increased risk of heart disease. Keep in mind however, that there are other causes unrelated to the TABP, such as poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking, among other things.” This was the one test I don’t agree with. I hardly, if ever, voice my frustrations even to the people closest to me. I would rather control what I can control and speak up only if it was an issue affecting me and those around me. I have good control of my emotions in the moment, and often just walk away if I feel frustration boil.
These tests could help me in my career by recognizing that I am a positive thinker and that energy can be infectious to those around me. I recognize that I can be better about voicing my opinions as it relates to the success of myself and those around me. A huge outlet for my stress is physical activity. I know that I am much more energetic and positive to be around when I get at least an hour of physical activity in. I try to stay cognisant of my surroundings and mental health so that I am not affecting those that I care about and myself. Organizations that I have been able to be a part of are growingly becoming more aware of the affects of mental health. Especially in the construction industry, suicide is a major concern. I’ve noticed a lot of companies providing mental health care to their employee’s and finding resources and creating dialogue between coworkers to promote a safe and comfortable environment for all.
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