Give me an A!

I’m pretty much a type-A person – at least when it comes to work and school related tasks. I can actually be quite laid back during my free time or relaxation time. But when it comes to tasks that I must complete, I am high-stress, highly-detailed, and highly-motivated. Being type-A can be quite an asset at times – my supervisor has lauded me repeatedly for my attention to detail and my information retention. These skills help me all the time in the working world and I know they will help me when I am a teacher as well. However, being type-A can be a liability for me as well – I get really stressed out and it can affect me in very negative ways. I get crabby, I get sick, I have a hard time focusing. Stress can help me hone in on important details, but it can also drive me crazy. I tend to be a stressed person, and it’s very frustrating and exhausting. Thankfully, though, I tend to get over things quickly. I’m a very verbal person, and if I can just talk it out or vent to someone about the thing that is stressing me, then I can get over it. I’m really only stressed in the moment – but a lot of these moments can build up to just wear me out. Incidentally, my interpersonal relationships can be both the cure for and source of a lot of my stress. Because I am an extrovert, I am powered up by other people – and I find solace in others’ company and advice. I like bouncing ideas off of other people, and I just like talking it all out. But I also get worn down worrying about what other people think and stressing about their opinions of me. That is the bad part about being an extrovert. I would say a large part of the stress in my life is worrying about other people. I do it to myself. I need to let go and just trust that other people can figure things out themselves, and I need to remember that not everyone will get me and not everyone will like me. As I get older, I am getting much better at this, but it is still a daily struggle. I really love being a people person and I wouldn’t trade it for the world, I just need to find a way to balance that with taking care of myself too.