Low Stress New Years Resolution

by Jenn
(Fort Lauderdale, FL., USA)

A couple of years ago, I made a New Years resolution to not stress over everything. Because in years past, I reacted to many situations like I just found out I was literally on fire.

To start my new stress-free lifestyle, I decided to not sweat the small stuff and not let anyone get on my nerves. I thought work would be the perfect place to try out my new carefree attitude.

Perhaps this was not the best place to start because we had just hired a new girl, and she was a handful. She was late every morning, made every mistake, and wasn't easy to get along with. I tried to handle the situation in a professional and calm manor. But as the day progressed I felt unsure of my resolution.

I told myself that I was making the situation worse than it really was. I could feel stress rising, but I was determined to keep it under control.

Actually, I was not living stress-free. It had now turned into a game. I spent the rest of my day trying not to let others know I was stressed. This game turned out to be the biggest source of stress, trying to figure out all the ways to avoid or hide stress. I was a wreck!

When I got home I was upset at how my day went. I felt I had failed at keeping my resolution. Then I started laughing at myself, when I realized I had become my own stress!

The next morning I found a card from the new girl at work, thanking me for being so patient and understanding. I thought to myself, "If she only knew!"