INTERPRETING THE REAL LIFE STORY: Ben’s Experience
My whole life I have definitely been a type A person. I havealways been goal-oriented and very driven to succeed. I don’t thinkthat is necessarily a bad thing, but it can definitely lead tostress. In college I had a very demanding engineering major. I alsoworked part time. Between homework and work I was extremely busy,so I would be very upset if anything got in the way of what Ineeded to do. Traffic jams would make me so stressed that I couldactually feel my blood pressure rising. If a friend called me up tochat, I would try to get rid of him quickly. I would feel veryannoyed and impatient if he seemed to want to stay on the line.Even when I finally managed to do something that was supposed to be“relaxing,†like going for a bike ride, I would find myselfbecoming really competitive and trying to pass all the otherbikers. In the end I would work out so hard that I was exhaustedand not relaxed. It was only when I took a health class and did astress survey that I realized how stressful my lifestyle was. Ialso learned that much of the stress was caused by my own attitude.So I made some changes in my thought process. My new philosophy wasto focus more on trying to enjoy the moment, rather than alwayspushing ahead toward some distant goal. Now I try to make a littletime for myself each day, and I try to appreciate little thingslike talking with friends, going for a walk, or just sitting undera tree. I am still working on a hard major and I am very busy, butI have managed to be a little more low-key about it all. Myattitude now has helped me to be happier and less stressed.
Critical Thinking Questions
1. If someone you knew was stressed all the time like Benindicated at the beginning of his story, what are some stressreduction techniques that you could recommend?
2. Are you a “Type A†or “Type B†person? What are thegreatest sources of stress in your life right now?
3. What stress-management techniques help you to feel lessstressed?
