Stress, good and bad
Due to a variety of circumstances, I've been pretty stressed lately. Most of my stress just has to do with having to interact with fellow human beings quite a bit more than I'm used to, or prefer. We were hunting for a new vehicle, so I've talked to a salesperson several times over the last two weeks. My car recently got sideswiped, so I have had to deal with insurance people calling several times, interact at the collision center with the damage assessor, obtain the police accident report, etc. I have begun rehearsal for a community theater play, which means continuous interaction with numerous people for two hours twice a week, and my roles are quite...ambitious. Last night was the online fantasy football draft, so I spent another hour with my friend and his wife at his house doing that. Tomorrow, I'm DMing, which is definitely fun, but of course very social.
I'm also going through some psychological adjustments because of my family. For example, Meggan has just started college and Hannah started 8th grade (a potentially treacherous time for girls, I hear). To all that, add that I have not yet adjusted to my wife, who is my greatest support and stress reliever, being gone three evenings/nights a week thanks to her new full time job. I've been at a point the last several days where I can't tell whether I'm worried about being in danger of feeling overwhelmed just because of a convergence of circumstances, or whether Depression is beginning to circle overhead. Optimistically, I'm able for now to hold on to thinking it's the former - things will slow down and/or I will adjust to recent changes and I'll start feeling better before too long. I hope so, because my anxiety level lately is not good.
Reading over the above, I think I sound whiny. Being able to afford a new car is a good thing. Getting paid in full for damage to my car that wasn't my fault - also a good thing. Having a featured role in a play - ditto. Etc., down the line. I'm playing fantasy football and D&D. One daughter got into college, the other one's doing fine, and our monthly income just doubled.
Intellectually, I know, though, that stress is stress, and it affects you about the same whether it is "good stress" or "bad stress".
I'm also going through some psychological adjustments because of my family. For example, Meggan has just started college and Hannah started 8th grade (a potentially treacherous time for girls, I hear). To all that, add that I have not yet adjusted to my wife, who is my greatest support and stress reliever, being gone three evenings/nights a week thanks to her new full time job. I've been at a point the last several days where I can't tell whether I'm worried about being in danger of feeling overwhelmed just because of a convergence of circumstances, or whether Depression is beginning to circle overhead. Optimistically, I'm able for now to hold on to thinking it's the former - things will slow down and/or I will adjust to recent changes and I'll start feeling better before too long. I hope so, because my anxiety level lately is not good.
Reading over the above, I think I sound whiny. Being able to afford a new car is a good thing. Getting paid in full for damage to my car that wasn't my fault - also a good thing. Having a featured role in a play - ditto. Etc., down the line. I'm playing fantasy football and D&D. One daughter got into college, the other one's doing fine, and our monthly income just doubled.
Intellectually, I know, though, that stress is stress, and it affects you about the same whether it is "good stress" or "bad stress".