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How to Avoid Self-Induced Stress
And avoid relationship arguments at the same time
“This is self-induced stress,” I say. “There’s so much stress we can’t avoid but there are so many ways to minimize unnecessary stress.”
“What’s the big deal?” my husband would answer.
“I got in the car to drive to an appointment,” I say. “You left my car empty, I had to stop for gas, and I was late.”
This was not an uncommon argument in our relationship.
It’s what I refer to as self-induced stress.
We’re out of diapers and have to make a midnight run.
We have an out-of-town event and have to stop for gas and cash.
We are entertaining and he arrives fifteen minutes before.
My husband and I would argue. I would continue to say these things were avoidable. He would hold fast to his stance they were no big deal. He wasn’t stressed by showing up late to a wedding but I was.
On the flip side, he was never on the receiving end of it.
He never jumped into his car to find it empty after I had used it.
In retrospect, I probably should have done that. I should’ve left his gas tank empty so he knew what it was like to be late for something…
