September 24th 2026

Interrogating Stress

Interrogating Stress

Stress comes in all shapes and sizes. What is your stress might be another’s pleasure.

There are some stressors we choose deliberately, like going to the gym and stressing muscles.

Or putting ourselves in a learning context as a novice. My daughter is driving a manual hire car, driving on the wrong side of the road in a foreign country. A chosen stress. (She said, never again.)

There are stresses we did not seek, but cannot avoid. Like living in a place that is being bombed. Or where a cyclone hits. How we respond to these types of stresses is different for everyone.

There are some stresses we grow up from. Like drinking too much and paying the price for the next few days. Or spending too much and never having a buffer.

Some stress is good. Learning a new skill, for example. Other stress is deeply harmful. Going at maximum capacity for weeks, months or years. Not good.

If stress is an issue for you, understanding the generative source of stress is helpful. Can you make a different choice, re-order your day, say NO, or yes?

Once upon a time, I had an addiction to being so busy I could hardly breathe. I felt important. Needed. And then one day I made a choice not to place my day under such stress with so many appointments and so many things to do. Now it is rare that I create this type of stress, even for a few hours. I prefer the sense of spaciousness. Not always possible, yet mostly a result of what I say yes to.

If you continue to put yourself in a context where stress is present, why are you making this choice? To interrogate our truth is a great place to begin creating a life where the stress we can control is managed better.

Published September 24th 2026. Photo taken September 24th 2026