Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...
...and it's all small stuff.
That's the title of a book that I saw a guy reading when I worked for the City a few summers ago. I thought it was beyond belief. Here was a guy in about the most low-stress job imaginable, and he's reading about stress? Not to mention I already thought he was about the laziest guy I had met to that point in my life. I suspect it was a facade, and that he was reading it to make it look like his non-stress life was getting to him.
But whatever.
Point is, I don't stress. I used to joke during exams that "I don't do stress". My parents used to be amazed when I'd compete in solos at highland games, and I'd seem totally serene (granted, I was a bag of nerves on the inside, I guess I just didn't let it show). But even then, I wouldn't say I was "stressing"... I was nervous about embarrassing myself. More worried, I guess. And it was only during the exact few minutes when I was competing. Moments before or after, I was totally calm.
I only ever used to worry about exams during those few moments from when I sat down until I received the exam booklet, or whatever. Once I got a look at it, I was usually calm again. The only exam I've ever been worried about afterwards was my last exam from the first term in 4th year. That was because it was a mandatory class and I was quite sure I had blown the exam badly. It was a rough Christmas that year for a variety of reasons, but that exam didn't help. Everything turned out fine, but I think my point is that it stood out. Still stands out, really, as one of the few moments in my life that I've been honestly stressed about anything. Generally, I convince myself that it's out of my hands now, so what use is worrying about it?
Now and then, I'll admit that I'll get uptight for a few minutes, but I will almost without fail take a deep breath, think, "Okay, how do we fix this?" and go about fixing/solving things very clinically.
When I was getting my shots for going to Mexico, my doctor insisted on doing the standard blood pressure, etc. stuff. I had a busy day at work, was a bit late getting to the doctor, so I had to rush to get there. If ever there was a point that I'd have stress-induced high blood pressure (yes, even at my age.... I'm working from an extensive family history here), this would be the time.
What was it? 122 over 80. Pretty much exactly normal.
Until that point, I wasn't sure if it was just that I had a positive outlook, and thus kept a cheery mood in spite of other things, but it was nice to get incontrovertible physical evidence that I don't, in fact, stress.
That's the title of a book that I saw a guy reading when I worked for the City a few summers ago. I thought it was beyond belief. Here was a guy in about the most low-stress job imaginable, and he's reading about stress? Not to mention I already thought he was about the laziest guy I had met to that point in my life. I suspect it was a facade, and that he was reading it to make it look like his non-stress life was getting to him.
But whatever.
Point is, I don't stress. I used to joke during exams that "I don't do stress". My parents used to be amazed when I'd compete in solos at highland games, and I'd seem totally serene (granted, I was a bag of nerves on the inside, I guess I just didn't let it show). But even then, I wouldn't say I was "stressing"... I was nervous about embarrassing myself. More worried, I guess. And it was only during the exact few minutes when I was competing. Moments before or after, I was totally calm.
I only ever used to worry about exams during those few moments from when I sat down until I received the exam booklet, or whatever. Once I got a look at it, I was usually calm again. The only exam I've ever been worried about afterwards was my last exam from the first term in 4th year. That was because it was a mandatory class and I was quite sure I had blown the exam badly. It was a rough Christmas that year for a variety of reasons, but that exam didn't help. Everything turned out fine, but I think my point is that it stood out. Still stands out, really, as one of the few moments in my life that I've been honestly stressed about anything. Generally, I convince myself that it's out of my hands now, so what use is worrying about it?
Now and then, I'll admit that I'll get uptight for a few minutes, but I will almost without fail take a deep breath, think, "Okay, how do we fix this?" and go about fixing/solving things very clinically.
When I was getting my shots for going to Mexico, my doctor insisted on doing the standard blood pressure, etc. stuff. I had a busy day at work, was a bit late getting to the doctor, so I had to rush to get there. If ever there was a point that I'd have stress-induced high blood pressure (yes, even at my age.... I'm working from an extensive family history here), this would be the time.
What was it? 122 over 80. Pretty much exactly normal.
Until that point, I wasn't sure if it was just that I had a positive outlook, and thus kept a cheery mood in spite of other things, but it was nice to get incontrovertible physical evidence that I don't, in fact, stress.
posted by Iain @ 11:24 AM
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