After taking the Take The Life Stress Inventory, Copying Stress Management and Stress, and Type A personality assessment tests, I was able to learn about myself and how my everyday schedule affects me in different ways.
These tests shared results explaining that I have a 50:50 chance for accident or illness, that I am somewhat stressed, and a very type A individual. These were all things that I did know about myself already, however I was able to gain knowledge while answering these questions in ways I can look back on what I am doing, and It forced me to look at how my driven, high-energy nature affects my long-term well-being and identify where I can make changes for the better.
In my experience working at Dixon Recreation as a fitness instructor, I was able to see how other instructors were struggling with stress in the work zone as our whole room dealt with technology issues out of our control, that affected the fitness class. This became a frustrating situation for current employees, but a very stressful situation for those employees in training, such as our cycling instructor shadows; trying to pass their tests but not being capable of full potential due to the issues out of control.
As I progress into my professional career, managing this Type A energy will be critical to avoiding burnout. My first step will be practicing setting hard boundaries between work and life by turning off digital notifications after hours. Second, I plan to proactively channel my stress through structured physical movement, as I currently work as a fitness instructor at a gym and utilize that as a form of stress reliever. Fortunately, modern organizations are shifting how they handle employee wellness, moving from basic health insurance to a proactive mental fitness strategy. Knowing that the modern workplace is evolving to support whole person health gives me a clear blueprint for maintaining both my ambition and my peace of mind.