a new challenge.

I feel naked. Not literally, but pretty exposed nonetheless.

I feel naked because I am now completely aware of the reality that is living outside of the college bubble. This encompasses many aspects of my life at this current time, many of which will probably appear on this blog. Tonight though, the theme will be stress, particularly the stress that I feel at work.

Now I must stress that I have indeed held jobs in previous years. Yes, they were part time and yes, some involved the care of children in a pool in the midst of a Maine summer or the care of school children on a basketball court. So as you can gather, the level of stress that I've felt in the work place can be summised as minimal. So here I am, in the world of benefit packages, 401Ks, and vacation time, slowly dipping my toe into the ever more complicated "real world". Lately, stress at my job has become a more prominent aspect of my life. I feel worn out at the end of the work day, irritable at my apartment, and at times disatisfied with what I am doing.

But as with so many other instances in my life, I have taken time to reflect on my current issue of stress in the work place, and this is what I have gathered:

Many people are stressed today because they are not working at all. Many are stressed because they have no food. Many are stressed because they cannot read. Many are stressed because they have no money. Many are stressed because they have cancer. Many are stressed because they have been evicted. Many are stressed because they have been hurt. Many are stressed because they are sad. Many are stressed and they don't know why....

And so, what am I trying to conclude? Stress is part of our lives. Whether we want to admit it or not stress is here to stay. What we can do is try to mask it with our friends Johnny Walker or Jack Daniels, or more sinister activities. Or, we can face it head on and manage the stress in healthy, pro active ways. This past weekend I hit a wall, and I feel I am just starting to get back on my feet. I was sad. I was angry. I was frustrated. I was overwhelmed. But in the end, I think it was stress at work, and bringing that stress out of the work place and into my life, that really shook my foundation. So what is my advice, as I learn to manage the stress I am encountering at the workplace? Putting your stress into perspective is an important step. But also taking deep breaths and knowing that it doesn't have to regulate how you feel. Every day, the sun will set and a new day will soon begin. I am learning how to handle this new type of stress as I continue my journey, timidly as it may be, into the real world.

Peace,

rob