Stressed Out!
This past Sunday the sermon was focused on stress. It couldn’t have come at a better time for me! Our Pastor pointed out how extremely stressful our culture is and how that has become the norm. Sometimes it feels like if I’m not super busy then I must not be doing enough. It is almost like the American stress level is an indicator of how successful we are. However, in reality what we should all do is take more time for ourselves and learn how to say, “No!”
I recently read a book that featured the Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale, which is a simple test you can take to see how stressed out you are. It asks you a series of questions based on your life experiences over the past year. If you answer yes to any of the questions then you add on the appropriate number of points to your stress score. The higher you score the more likely it is that you will develop a serious illness due to stress. Ideally, you want to score less than 150. My score was 551. Not good folks. Not good!
A large number of my stressors are Grace related. That isn’t because she is hard to parent, but simply because I’m a parent now. I scored 40 points just for being pregnant in the last year and another 39 for Grace being added to our family. Plus now that I’m a stay-at-home mom I scored 36 points for being in a different line of work, 20 points for a change in work hours, and don’t forget those 16 points for changing my sleeping habits.
Plus I can score 51 points for acquiring a mortgage and moving to a new house!
The bottom line is I’m stressed out! I’m extremely bad at decision making and in the last week I bought a washer, dryer, lawn mower, and mattress! I’m getting stretched here, people!
Sadly, we are all stressed out. I was thinking about my friends from church and I think that many of them could score pretty high on the stress scale. Two couples just had babies in the last couple of months. Those same couples both moved in the last year. One friend is starting her own business. Another couple is expecting a new baby. Two friends are going to school this fall and both have families at home. Plus one couple is dealing with a major illness. I think we could all use a vacation, but that adds 13 more points to our stress scale scores!!!
In light of the sermon on Sunday I am trying to let go and let God! I need to remember to take a breath, say a prayer and simply relax. Somehow it just doesn’t seem that easy…
Are you curious what your stress scale score is? Click here to take the Homles-Rahe test!
Hey Rebekah,
I am reading this book about a couple who move from L.A. to San Miguel in Mexico. There is this great line in the book where he writes about the North American preoccupation with finishing a project, our sad and consistent ability “to fall under the lash of completion.” He juxtaposes this nicely with the observation that, in Mexico, there seems to be tendency for things to take awhile to reach completion. In a culture where there seems to be a more laid back approach to life’s little tasks, his take was that more work is a good thing, as it is necessary for survival. Hurrying a task is silly, and completing a job in such a way that it creates more work is a good thing. Rushing the work, stressing out about having the work, is pointless. What doesn’t get done today, will get done some other day.
You’ve heard all this advice before… “slow down you’re movin’ too fast,” etc, etc. My point is this… label your spice jars and organize your pantry some other day, or don’t – Martha Stewarting your life won’t make Grace’s childhood richer, your food taste sweeter, or your home happier.
And stop taking those online quizzes! They will only serve to make you obsess about the things that don’t really matter in the first place. Take a deep breath and know that you are well loved.
Wow, that paragraph about our Bible Study is crazy! Its amazing high the cumulative stress level most likely is!! I’ll take time to enjoy my day today (called off work early, yay!!), take some deep breaths, and slow down, thanks to you. I didn’t take the quiz- I’m pretty sure I’ll just be more depressed and plus I’ll save that for a time when I have time and am not so stressed out 🙂 I love your blog, just wanted to let you know.