Stress; a modern scourge.

[girl_called_sun]

I was reading an article about "coping with stress" in a magazine at work.
Not that I felt excessively stressed - I was in fact chatting to a colleague and trying to resist the box of chocolates on the counter. It was an educational piece; apparently "adaptive strategies" reduce stress and have long term benefits. These include;

• Using humour or comedy
• Engaging in physical exercise
• Seeing the situation in a different light, such as looking for positive consequences or personal benefits
• Seeking help and advice

So far, so good, I thought. I do all of these things, to an extent. I am a sensible and well adjusted person. In that case, I deserve a chocolate. I continued to read.

"Maladaptive" strategies only relieve stress in the short term and can affect health in the long term. However, the perky dialogue box explaining these maladaptive strategies listed amongst its examples;

• Procrastination
• Use of displacement activities such as computer games (or fandoms, I presume)
  
• Sleeping to avoid problems
• Wishful thinking
• Using food to feel better

I paused in reaching for another chocolate; I possess all the above traits, and I always considered them defining characteristics! Am I stressed without realising it? Is being stressed a part of my personality?

I was more stressed after reading about how to cope with stress than I ever was in my previous state of ignorance!