STRESS!

Lately I have been so freaking stressed!  I feel my blood pressure rise with just what the people around me are saying and doing.  I've never been all that great about letting things roll off my back anyhow.  But these days I'm reacting worse than I ever have.  Don't get me wrong - I haven't blown a gasket at work.  I haven't rammed my little car into anyone.  I haven't punched a wall.  I'm just STRESSED!

But what is stress, really??

According to The American Institute of Stress website, the word stress was not even used the way we think of it until about 50 years ago.  And gee, can you believe there IS an American Institute of Stress?  Do you think the people who work there suffer from job stress?  But I digress...of course...

So, according to dictionary.com, the noun stress has loads of different definitions  Let's see if any of them help.


1. importance or significance attached to a thing; emphasis: to lay stress upon good manners.  Perhaps my problem is that I put more significance than necessary on what others are saying and doing?


2. Phonetics. emphasis in the form of prominent relative loudness of a syllable or a word as a result of special effort in utterance.  Granted, improper pronunciation drives me nuts, but I don't think this one works.

3. Prosody. accent or emphasis on syllables in a metrical pattern; beat.   Music actually de-stresses me - unless it sucks.  So I say no.

4. emphasis in melody, rhythm, etc.; beat.   Again, no.

5. the physical pressure, pull, or other force exerted on one thing by another; strain.  While I don't enjoy people pushing or pulling on me, this usually doesn't happen.

6. Mechanics.
a. the action on a body of any system of balanced forces whereby strain or deformation results.

b. the amount of stress, usually measured in pounds per square inch or in pascals.

c. a load, force, or system of forces producing a strain.

d. the internal resistance or reaction of an elastic body to the external forces applied to it.

e. the ratio of force to area.

This entire Mechanics definition stresses me.
7. Physiology. a specific response by the body to a stimulus, as fear or pain, that disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism.  Hmmmm..  We are getting warmer.  I feel like the stimulus (my co-workers) are causing my body to have specific responses (my hand attempts to reach out and strangle someone!)

8. physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension: Worry over his job and his wife's health put him under a great stress.  That's it! I am under mental and emotional strain or tension.  Physical is ok - or as ok as I ever am physically.

9. a situation, occurrence, or factor causing this: The stress of being trapped in the elevator gave him a pounding headache.  So according to this definition, my co-workers are stress.

10. Archaic. strong or straining exertion.  I think that the strong or straining exertion would be me stopping myself from hurting someone.


So now that we are all more informed - what can any of us do about the stress?  Violence is not the answer - at least not according to my shrink. (j/k - like I would spend money on a shrink.)  I used to play Doom after work, and the simulated violence seemed to help.  But I tried the other day, and it just bored me.

Cooking?  Too much mess.

Exercise?  LMAO!  Right!  Good one!

Finally I have decided on a combination of TV, laptop, snacks and book.  I'd like to throw a little alcohol and cigarettes into the mix, but I don't have any booze, and I quit smoking years ago.  So wish me luck that I can turn my internal temps down quickly, 'cause I don't think they'll let me blog from jail!