The other night in the employee dining room we were discussing small everyday things that most people do without any thought that created stress for some of us.
For one woman it was stepping on and off an escalator.
For another it was pumping gas to fuel up her car.
And it struck me that I have a couple myself. One is pruning trees. Every year this mildly freaks me out. And I love to garden.
Another is that for about half the year I live in one time zone and work in another. I spend most of six months worried that I got the times confused.

So how about it, is there some small thing that ups your stress level that everyone else in the world seems to handle without a care?

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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass
It's about learning to dance in the rain.

Walking by people without recognizing them. I tend to be in my own little world and I have even passed by my neighbors (several times) at the store without acknowledging them. (They probably think I'm rude).

I have difficulty remembering faces. I usually recognize people by their hair, voices or mannerisms. I often worry that I'm next to someone that I should recognize but don't.

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Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear,
The upward glancing of an eye
When none but God is near."

What to prepare for dinner... okay, maybe it's not stressful but it certainly taxes my brain!

For awhile, it was stressful to drive my car. This was right after we had a head-on collision and totalled our car. Luckily, no one was hurt.

I had to work through it for the first year and then a few months ago, the anxiety just seemed to lift and now (2 years later) this and some other unrelated fears that might have been related (because they developed around the same time but had nothing to do with driving) are gone!

The time zone things sounds stressful to me!!!!!!!!!!!!

Packing my gym bag before work everyday. I go to work in exercise clothes unshowered. I shower at work and then get dressed for the day. I have had a couple occasions of forgotten underwear, socks, shoes, or bra so I stress each morning over having everything....

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

I also stress over dinner from time to time. But if we get invited to a potluck or BBQ where they want me to bring something, I totally freak out. Unless I can bring something that I can run by the store and pick up pre-made I start getting anxious over it from the second we get the invite.

Just everyday school nights stress me out! When the kids get home from school, it all starts....checking their backpacks, unloading their lunchbox, signing their folders, looking at homework, getting them to do their homework, dinner, showers, early bedtime. Especially if there's an evening function like soccer or football. That's the worst! Then having to get up EARLY the next morning to catch the bus! My son leaves for the bus stop at 6:50am! Can't wait for Christmas break!!!!!!

I pick up a neighbor kid to take to school ...he lives on a dirt road...I cannot turn around to leave, there is no room, I have to put the car in reverse and back up about 50 feet. I worry everyday I will fall off the side of the road into a ravine.

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Live, Love, Laugh

I sub at a local High School and I stress over getting called in. I don't mind when I know ahead of time that I will be working, but I get so stressed waiting for that phone call at 5:30 in the morning. I am almost always awake at 5:30 just waiting for the phone to ring. Part of me wants it to ring, and the lazy part of me that would rather spend the day cleaning or shopping....hopes it doesn't ring. I know it sounds a bit crazy! I usually don't get a good nights sleep when I am on call instead of already scheduled. Next year I might just do the call ahead work, so at least that might help to limit my stress....

School day mornings! My kids are supposed to have their backpacks,shoes,coats, everything they need ready the night before. But of course something ALWAYS comes up right before they need to leave!
Today my 5yo couldn't find her folder or her coat.
Usually someone can't find their shoes. I am always tempted to send them to school in their socks!

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Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking

I am a creature of routine. When something pops up and takes my day out of sinc I really get stressed.

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Mary

Yep, me too.

Also driving in the winter. You'd think after driving for 27 years I'd be used to it, but last January (2007) I got into a bad accident on a bridge and almost went over the side. I freak at every snowfall now. Dh thinks I'm stupid for being like this but geez, I could have died that day.....nothing will ever take away my fear of winter driving.

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Friends are like butt cheeks.
Crap might separate them,
But they always come back together.

Well, I don't think you're stupid at all. Sometimes, an accident or a close call can really stick with you. Especially if you know someone who was killed in a car accident. I hate winter driving more than anything.

Sadly talking to my parents who right now are 76 and 75 and both are very sick .. I know when I pick up the phone it is never good news and when I end the phone call I am physically and emotionally a wreck.. I wish they were not so sick all the time... It would be nice to hear some good news from them.... Peace.. Catherine

I am a huge stesser over snowfall too. DH loves when I am asleep when we are traveling and there are just a few flurries, He always tells me to go to sleep. We argue about his speed,driving too close etc.. esp when the snow starts. This is with almost 30 yrs of driving, I only had 1 snow scare, I was in a chevette and a semi passed me and litterly blew me across the ice to the median and I thought for sure the car would flip.. it didn't but it sure scared me

I stress over the "what if's" in life, What if the kids are sick tomorrow (even though no one has a cold) What if my car doesn't start in the morning (eve though my car is running fine), what if I say the wrong thing to someone and hurt thier feelings ( even though that rarely happens). I'm am definately a "what if "freak!

junk snail mail. OMG.....our mailbox is loaded everyday. It's making me crazy.

I worry way too much about the way people perceive my home. If the kids want to have friends over, I criticize every little thing. (They rarely have people over anyway because our schedule and DH's). Our home i nice enough and we are cozy, etc. but I still worry I will be judged. Even family parties stress me. Not sure why..I know logically that everything is fine and people who matter don;t judege, but I can't help it.