[SJ] Stress

[Cimarron]

It seems, from what descriptions say, that SJs are more prone to stress than other types. We cause stress for others D) but also for ourselves, no doubt.

Is stress something that hits you often?

How well would you say you handle stress?

 

[NewEra]

Stress does have a tendency to hit me hard sometimes. The way I deal with it is to just get away from the source of the stress for a while, that definitely makes me feel better... until I have to face the stresser again of course. If it's a long term type of stress, then usually if I get too stressed, I'll get angry and forcefully confront the source.

 

[Saslou]

Lol .. For the longest time i thought i was great at handling stress.

Then i realised.

I don't handle stress too well.

I don't mind being stressed at work, if it is to do with meeting deadlines etc as the adrenaline and the challenge of it keeps me going.

I don't handle emotional stress well. I over-analyse everything.
I hate Fe sometimes. Luckily, i have people around me who just listen, then laugh and we just move on, that simple.

And this is where i need to learn my lesson.

My house is usually sparkling clean when i am stressed. That helps me clear my head and try to rationalise whatever the problem may be.

I don't do well if someone keeps on shouting at me, pulling at my strings or just manipulating me. I don't have enough energy to shout back, rationalise it and still help them find a conclusion.
I like going on long walks when this happens. Alone.

 

[d@v3]

When I feel I am stressed, I usually get away from the source (temporarily) to reorganize and prioritize things. Then, I will go back and attack the source of the stress until the source is dealt with and gone.

Also, I never show that I am stressed. (Part of being a stoic ISTJ? )

 

[countrygirl]

Most of my stress comes from how I perceive things and ususally I hold it in or avoid it rather than deal with it. So when something does trigger this build up, I let lose. I have learn to identify most of my triggers and worked real hard at changing my perspective and consequently, have become less serious as well as less sensitive. And now I have more emotional competance in dealing with life.

 

[Lambchop]

I definitely deal with a lot of stress in my life...and I know it's at least in part due to my personality type, since my INFP husband is very laid back.

I've been trying to find new ways to deal with stress, since I haven't dealt with it well in the past. I've been prone to take it out on people or EAT. Going for walks helps me...as does any exercise really. I'm trying to learn how to meditate and visualize, although it's hard to turn my brain off.

 

[Giggly]

I do not handle stress well at all when it hits me. I turn into a complete wreck. My method of handing stress is to avoid it! I have developed good intuition (can a sensor use that word?) and I can see it coming. That's probably not good though but it works for me.

 

[Gerbah]

I also just avoid stress in order to handle it. I also have a good feeling for when some potential stress might be involved and what to do to bypass it. I prepare in advance so I don't end up in stress. When I have a problem, I am obsessed with thinking it through and finding the solution so that I regain my inner peace as soon as possible again. I have one room in the home which I control and keep in order and everything there is pleasant for me to look at. I have a young baby and as long as I have this room under control, I don't mind so much if I can't get all the other rooms tidy and nice because I know I have somewhere I can go that is relaxing.

 

[Shadow]

My ISFJ boyfriend doesn't really show his stress to others outside of his inner circle. He gets sulkier and might even throw a little tantrum or say something completely uncharacteristically violent or harsh when with those he trusts (not at them though). Most of the time it surfaces as illness. He is prone to illness when stressed.

I can't avoid stress! If it's stress due to obligations (which it always is), I can't duck out of it because I have to fulfil my obligations. I'll get really melancholy and won't look after myself (skip meals, go to bed really late or not at all) or I'll harm myself as a kind of deliberate punishment for feeling like that (i.e. I'll start smoking again and drink heavily or other destructive behaviours). I'll also be in a constant 'hyper-alert' state (hence the late nights). Oddly, I won't feel the stress when I'm actually carrying out the work because my concentration will be intense.

 

[wrldisquiethere]

I usually handle it best by doing something active. My best workouts have come after being stressed. I have set personal bests in running after a stressful day at work. Hah! I think there's just something about being active that gives a sense of control...even if it doesn't directly affect the circumstances I'm stressed about, working hard makes me feel like I have things under control.

 

[tinker683]

Stress hits me a lot, but it's often of my own making. I have this strong desire to try and make everyone see that I'm doing a good job so I'll often end up giving up lunch breaks, personal time, etc.. to dedicate myself to my work....

...which then ends up with me being a wreck later on. As for dealing with stress, I usually like to just sit down infront of a PC and read through forums (like this one) and listen to some soft-sounding music. Always seems to unravel.

I also try to go dancing when I can. I've found dancing takes a HUGE load off of me.

 

[Take Five]

I get stressed a lot. Mostly about things that I need to do. It's best when I get the stuff done and then just do anything while I am alone, even if it's as simple as going home.

 

[WickedQueen]

When I'm stressed, I vent to almost everyone and exaggerate it, then I felt ashamed of myself for venting to everyone, so I get calmer and tried to fix things by myself.

But I don't get stressed very often. Sometimes people think that I'm stressed (judging from my depressed vent), but I'm actually not.

 

[Space Socks]

Stress is much easier to deal with when I am in an environment that is clean. I'm sensitive to how I deal with my stresses based on where I am what I am doing. Like wrldisquiethere, I like to go running. Doing something active and feeling like I'm detoxifying my body from all the worrying, is in a way a needed break from it all. If I'm healthy, and I know it, then I feel capable. And this extends to a mental state too.

 

[Jstrazz]

I have been very prone to stress all of my life. I have found that in some circumstances, I thrive in stress. ISTJ's make great emergency leaders because they process information quickly and logically and can make very deliberate choices when under stress. When I am stressed, I like to clean or do some sort of activity that allows me to use my hands and my mind and organize something. I also tend to fiddle with my hands or shake my leg or just get fidgety. However, during other times, stress gets the better of me and wears me down. In my experience, denial and emotional coping strategies work alright, but not for long. The best way to deal with stress is to take it head on. If it's an assignment, make a list. If it's a decision, make a pro's and con's list. SJ's (especially ISTJ's) are very good at organizing and defining objectives and we can use this to our advantage. By organizing and listing all of the little detailed steps (maybe not always detailed), we can deal with the stress, one step at a time in a methodical manner. I hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[EJCC]

Oh man! Look at all the old faces in this thread. I miss WickedQueen.

(And now I feel old. )

But anyways... It's funny that this thread got revived this week, because I've been pretty stressed lately, and thus stress has been on my mind. So, to answer the questions in the OP, yes, I am prone towards being stressed, and I always have been, but I am not naturally great at stress management. Usually just Getting It Done is enough to ease the stress -- or telling myself "You can do this because you've done it before and it worked out fine" -- but when that method fails, or when it doesn't apply, it usually gets bottled up and forgotten about, and if too much stress builds up, then that bad stress management can reeeally bite me in the ass later.

Recently I've tended towards picking up and then setting aside a lot of good stress-relieving hobbies, and one thing I should start doing is making sure that I'm always doing at least one of those hobbies on a regular basis.