Do you notice changes in what "stresses" you as you age??

[indimom]

Not sure how to put this, but the OCD-tendencies thread got me thinking about this...
All my life I've been fine with boo boos, blood, shots, dental procedures, that type of thing. I've watched while I got IVs, assisted with clean-up on nasty wounds, didn't flinch watching my son (at two) get stitches.

BUT, in the last five years or so that has started to change. I now have to follow my sisters advice and play word games in my head to get through a filling at the dentist. I may have to ask if I can bring an MP3 (if I ever have another filling) to drown out the noise, because even that is starting to disturb me.
Within the last year or two, if my kids or husband show me a mild (but ugly or bleeding) cut, my stomach actually clenches up. If I'm prepared, it doesn't happen, but if they spring it on me "Hey mom, look what I did?" my stomach clenches and I get that light-headed feeling like when you are swinging or going downhill on a steep rollercoaster.
Is This Common??? Am I going to end up being a fainter???? Anyone else change like this as they get older? I just never thought I'd be like this. I always thought I was pretty "tough."

 

[Disney Doll]

Nah...that kind of stuff never bothers me, but then again,I'm a nurse so have a pretty strong tolerance of "gooey" bodily functions and such.

I have noticed that I have far less tolerance for stupid and/or crazy. Often they appear in combination.

So, don't do something that you know is stupid, get into trouble and expect me to feel sorry for you.

Likewise, I'm tired of dealing with peoples' issues. I'm tired of prima donnas who think the world owes them something, that their stupid problems are signiificant in the grand scheme of life or that I should be forced to listen to them day after day for years while they "work through" things while continuing to be their own worst enemy.

So...gooey bodily functions...no problem.
Stupid and/or crazy...big problem.

 

[CathrynRose]

Yes, completely!

Not the same as yours, but my 'fears' have completely changed.

I'm so scared of flying. I used to look forward to that runway rush - faster, faster, faster and *whooooosh* off the ground. Now, I can't even look. I can't even relax until the drink cart comes out, as I feel they would not serve drinks on a plane about to go down.

And then, once the drinks are FINALLY served - I do this:

This last flight only felt about 15 minutes long.... weird.



.

 

[Christine]

Not sure how to put this, but the OCD-tendencies thread got me thinking about this...
All my life I've been fine with boo boos, blood, shots, dental procedures, that type of thing. I've watched while I got IVs, assisted with clean-up on nasty wounds, didn't flinch watching my son (at two) get stitches.

BUT, in the last five years or so that has started to change. I now have to follow my sisters advice and play word games in my head to get through a filling at the dentist. I may have to ask if I can bring an MP3 (if I ever have another filling) to drown out the noise, because even that is starting to disturb me.
Within the last year or two, if my kids or husband show me a mild (but ugly or bleeding) cut, my stomach actually clenches up. If I'm prepared, it doesn't happen, but if they spring it on me "Hey mom, look what I did?" my stomach clenches and I get that light-headed feeling like when you are swinging or going downhill on a steep rollercoaster.
Is This Common??? Am I going to end up being a fainter???? Anyone else change like this as they get older? I just never thought I'd be like this. I always thought I was pretty "tough."

I can't think of any examples but, yes, I will agree with you. Things bother me now that didn't before. I probably am a tad bit more squeamish over things that you mentioned above. What I notice is that when something freaks me out like *almost* getting in a car accident or something along those lines, I'm not nearly as unflappable about it as I once was.

It's hard to describe but I get what you're saying. I feel more of a wimp than I used to be.

 

[NikitaZee]

Yeah - I've noticed things that bother me now that never used to. Like the previous poster - I used to love flying, now I'm scared to death of it. And tv commercials - some of them are so annoying, I can't get to the remote fast enough to turn them off. Some will even put me in a momentary bad mood. I never used to care about commercials, don't know why it's become such an annoyance now

 

[Becky2005]

I think it's more a result of having kids for me.

Athough I'm pretty sure DD is never going to learn to drive because I'm so totally paranoid for anyone to drive the car but me, I'm not sure she will get her 50 hours in. That might be due to me having an accident a few years ago and it was a situation that I prefer to just block out of my memory but it's always there lurking. I freak out just as much on her as I do DH when they drive "my" car. My mom has literally been taking her out driving (some due to the fact that DD is short & has a hard time seeing in the van).

It just seems like it's always something that involves something that "could be dangerous" -- I try to reel it in but I'm pretty sure I would have my kids live in a bubble if I could. I was not this way when they were younger but the older they have gotten the worse I have gotten -- who knows, maybe that is normal?

Now minor bloody injuries not so much. Those don't seem to phase me.

My kids tend to be weirdly jointed though and can contort themselves in ways that they just shouldn't be able to do & I can't stand when they do that. EWWW!!!! So, they do it to watch me squirm and go EWWW!!!!

I think my tolerance level has gone way down for things, I feel like I'm going to be one of those crabby old ladies (who has probably lost the filter for things and just tells you like I think it is). YIKES!!!!

 

[NHdisneylover]

Yes. I never had an issue with heights until about 5 years ago. I have no idea what could have triggered it but now i have a hard time going up really tall things, riding cable cars, etc. I can still do those tings but it makes me nervous now.

 

[CathrynRose]

Yeah - I've noticed things that bother me now that never used to. Like the previous poster - I used to love flying, now I'm scared to death of it. And tv commercials - some of them are so annoying, I can't get to the remote fast enough to turn them off. Some will even put me in a momentary bad mood. I never used to care about commercials, don't know why it's become such an annoyance now

Me too. I mute them. I have the control during any show I am watching, and I mute instantly on commercials.

My husband just asked me a couple days ago - why do you do that? And my answer was simple: they annoy me.

 

[tvguy]

Not the case with me. As I've aged I've learned that stress is a waste of time. I work in a high stress job (not life & death, but stressful). When a stressful situation comes up, I've seen folks literally freeze. Why waste time stressing? All you have to do is think what your options are, and pick one. In hindsight do I always make the best decision? Absolutely not. I make the best decision I can with the information and time I have. If my bosses want me to do things differently, they tell me afterward. I've had dozens of bosses over the last 35 years, and only had 1 who didn't appreciate how I did things.

 

[MIGrandma]

Changes I've noticed don't really stress me out. I've just noticed that in the last few years certain things have changed. Namely being less tolerant of kids and the noise they make. Love, love, love peace and quiet. That's not to say I don't enjoy my grandkids, because I do. Just in small doses. I still enjoy babysitting for them, but it's always nice to see them go home too.

I don't enjoy shopping like I used to. I rarely go shopping just for the sake of shopping anymore. I go when I need something, and sometimes will browse then, but to just say "hey, let's go to the mall" is something I just don't do much of anymore.

And I hate, hate, hate any kind of doctor/dental appointment.

 

[mom2boys77]

Commercials annoy the heck out of me so much that I pause them so that I can fast forward through them. I have no idea why they started bothering me. I think I just am sick of them trying to sell me useless crap.

Me too. I mute them. I have the control during any show I am watching, and I mute instantly on commercials.

My husband just asked me a couple days ago - why do you do that? And my answer was simple: they annoy me.

 

[Robinrs]

I don't stress as much but I find I have MUCH less patience with, sorry, children.

I used to LOVE being around them, but as I get older I find I don't have the patience I used to have with them. Maybe because I've been raising them so long (nieces, cousins, nephews, now my own) that I've lost the urge.

Sooooooo glad mine is a big boy now.

 

[C.Ann]

Claustrophobia - very bad..

Fear of heights..

Can watch the true medical stories, but when they start to "cut", I have to cover my eyes!

The smell of a wet dog..

--------------------------

Lack of common courtesy..

Lack of communication skills..

Children being shoved out of childhood..

"Me" ahead of everyone and everything else.. (It's really not "all about you".)

Everyone knows a minimum of 250 people (personally) who are abusing food stamps, welfare, or medicaid..

People who are naive enough to think that their personal/financial circumstances are set in stone and will never come undone in the blink of an eye..

------------------

Although - I can't say the last group of things really "stress" me - it's more that they make me incredibly sad to see where our society is - and where it's heading.. I'm afraid it will only get worse..

 

[Sheree Bobbins]

Definitely. I am way more squeamish now. And I worry a lot more. I always worried but now every little stressor causes me to worry. I feel comforted knowing that this may be a normal part of aging, for me.

 

[indimom]

I finally made it back...long day. I am glad to see that I'm not alone. I guess more things change as we age than I thought possible. Ugh. What else is coming??

And thank you for giving me a word for this - squeamish. I couldn't even think of how to describe it, but that pretty much hits the nail on the head. I was NEVER squeamish before.
I've always been leery of heights, especially climbing ladders and such. But nothing else every really bothered me, so this just annoys me.
I agree with the lack of patience others have mentioned as well. I always just attributed that to time and repeated exposure. If you see the same ridiculous nonsense enough times you are bound to get annoyed/irritated by it eventually. I do have less patience with people who just keep repeating the same mistakes and can't seem to figure out why it's not working for them.

 

[quadwriter85]

When I was younger certain things didn't freak me out when I was at a doctor or dentist's appointment or when I was getting medical treatment. I became a quadriplegic in 2008 and since then being in a medical environment stresses me out mainly because I spent time in a rehab hospital and I've had a few medical setbacks that have required hospitlization.

Since I can't feel anything from my shoulders down I get freaked out when blood is taken from me or during medical exams because I feel something could go wrong with my skin and I wouldn't know it.

 

[CathrynRose]

Commercials annoy the heck out of me so much that I pause them so that I can fast forward through them. I have no idea why they started bothering me. I think I just am sick of them trying to sell me useless crap.

Have you noticed the dancing, too? I have it muted, so I'm assuming there is music but everything from tampons to cookies to lotion is, for some reason, being danced about.

I hate commercials. After this thread, and my already muting of them all, I told my husband we should just start watching our shows the following day - and FF through all of them.

And (this is crazy, hear me out) if I'm watching and listen to one of them, and it's ridiculous and stupid, I imagine a bunch of balding, gray haired men in suits, sitting at a big conference table when the Advertising Company came in, with their poster boards, and plugged this stupid idea to them. And them laughing, and saying "Oh yeah... that's a GREAT idea! How funny/unique/different/inspiring.... we'll have the girls "dancing!" about feminine wash!! You are HIRED!"

It annoys the hell out of me.

I hate them.

 

[hereyago]

I find at 42, I have lot less tolerance for BS. and people who don't use common sense.

I am sassier now then ever before I think and I like it

 

[LovableGluttons]

Less patience for whining and lame excuses.

I used so be so patient.

Now I have to fake it.

But I'm getting good at it!