Stress is Dumb and Stupid and I Hate it

Okay okay, the title might be a little dramatic. However, I do think that we Americans are constantly looking for problems in our lives. Many people find difficulties with seeing the silver lining or the good in a bad situation. I scored a whopping 675 on the Life Stress Questionnaire; the test only denotes up to a score of 350… However, this is simply because ‘In the last year’ covers a pretty massive timeframe. My last 8 months have been the most life-changing, and I somehow came out of it in the happiest spot I’ve ever been in.

Moving on to the other tests taken as part of this exercise, I scored an 88/100 on the Problem-Focused Coping. This result means that I often use problem-focused strategies to deal with stressful situations. Which is great for me, these strategies are amazing for situations that I  can control, and in my personal opinion, if something is out of my control, why care? I do think that at one point in my life, I was quite a negative person. Friends that I have now who were simply acquaintances last year described me as a loser. Defined as ‘someone who, when you’re around them, you just feel bad about yourself and them’. But they love me!

Finally, I scored a 22/100 on the Impatience/Irritability scale. This was quite a nice result. The website explained that my interactions are only occasionally tinged with impatience and hostility. I also generally trust others, which is awesome! I used to think that people were generally bad, but I realize now that was only because I surrounded myself with some of the most toxic people I have ever met. Now I am surrounded by the grace of Christ, and I love my life and people.