Managing Stress

  • February 27, 2025
  • General

By John M Oldham MD

These are unusually stressful and bewildering times in our country and our world.  Almost no-one is spared from blazing headlines predicting upheaval or at least uncertainty—inflation, job loss, invasion of privacy, threats to social support systems, immigration challenges, government shutdown, and the list goes on.  How realistic are these concerns?  The answer depends on your political views, your family and support systems, your level of financial and employment stability, and your level of confidence in your local, state, and national elected officials, to help keep “the ship of state” steady.

We all have day-to-day worries, of course, and sometimes they can be helpful.  In the behavioral health field, we refer to “anticipatory anxiety” felt before, let’s say, a job interview or a certifying exam.  If not too intense, such apprehension can be an engine, driving us to plan ahead, do our homework, and be as prepared as we can be.  But when the anxiety stems from worrying about big-time winds such as climate change or an economic downturn, these are things that, as individuals, we can’t do much about.  Yes, we can join advocacy groups and vote for measures we believe in, and we should, but the march of political time can be pretty overpowering and stressful.

Does one’s personality make a difference in how to deal with stress from things that feel beyond control?  To some degree, yes, I would argue.  In the terms of npsp25, which personality styles might predominate in those of us better able to stay calm in the storm?  A generous helping of the Self-Confident style would serve, laced with the Vigilant and Serious styles.  Mix in a bit of the Adventurous style.  And maybe Leisurely—not to take looming worries too seriously.  Conversely, those with Mercurial, Dramatic, and Sensitive styles might be higher on the worry meter, as well as the Devoted style, especially when those to whom you’re devoted are not on the winning team.  And for those of us who are prone to get stressed out, who are the worriers in the crowd, seeking some time out from the Breaking News is a good idea.