Reflecting on a Personal Stress Experience

My first job interview was a stressful experience. I was nervous because I felt the pressure to get the job was immense. It stemmed from my personal expectations and the desire to start earning a paycheck. Plus, I really wanted to work at that company.

The interview was for a position I wanted a lot. As the day approached, I felt so nervous. Physically, my heart raced, and my palms were sweaty. I felt light-hearted and uneasy. Emotionally, I wavered between confidence in myself and a big fear of failure. The night before, I simply could not sleep.

My main emotional response was anxiety. I felt moments of frustration, especially when I struggled to articulate my thoughts during mock interviews. However, I also felt I could find the resilience I needed to overcome this fear.

To manage my stress, I used different strategies. I used mindfulness and deep-breathing exercises, which helped in reducing physical symptoms of anxiety. Preparing for the interview also gave me a better sense of control. Initially, my focus was more on beating my nervousness, but later, it shifted towards building confidence.

This experience taught me the importance of preparation and self-awareness in managing stress. I learned that it is impossible to control every aspect of such situations, but if you focus on what you can control like preparation and attitude it makes a big difference.

The concept of stress and coping from our lectures applies to this experience. According to Lazarus and Folkman's theory, my approach was a mix of problem-focused (preparation) and emotion-focused (mindfulness) coping. This lines up with my experience, as I tackled both the source of stress and my emotional response to it.

Reflecting on this experience has helped with my understanding of stress and its impacts. I definitely see the importance of using adaptive coping mechanisms and how personal attitude helps in managing stressful situations.