Maybe I just have a case of the Mondays, but suddenly I find myself quite stressed out… [ul][li]Money. My company just switched from paying us 24 times a year (twice a month) to 26 times a year (every other week), and I have absolutely no idea what my next paycheck is going to look like. I find out on Friday. Even though my salary won’t change it will mean less take-home pay in each check, and part of me is worried that I’ll find myself back to the paycheck-to-paycheck living I only recently managed to crawl out from under. Also, I will need to find a new place to rent in 7 months, and I’m worried that I won’t be able to save enough money between now and then to cover the costs associated with the move.[/li][li]Work. My company also recently lost a pretty big contract, which will result in the first layoffs in our 19-year history. Luckily I don’t work on the contract we lost, so my job is “safe,” but the next few months around here are going to be hard. Morale is low, and several of my favorite co-workers (including my officemate) are affected. [/li][li]School. Classes start next week. I enjoy school, but I’m better at writing-related classes than I am at literature classes, and this semester I’m taking a literature class. Lots of reading, lots of academic writing, lots of MFA-types in the class who are way better at thinking creatively than I am. It’s a folklore class, which I’m really looking forward to, but I’m stressing a little about the academic side. I already have one “B” in my graduate coursework, and I really don’t want another one.[/li][li]Volunteer Stuff. I’m burned out on Toastmasters (it’s been a priority for the past 2+ years), but I have no escape until June 30th and things will be very busy until then. I’m in charge of my own club (as its President) and am also in charge of the other 3 clubs in my area (as the Area Governor), and I just don’t want to deal with any of it anymore … but, of course, I will, and I’ll do the best I can. The Toastmasters year ends June 30th, and my terms of office end with it, so I just have to get to that date. I won’t quit Toastmasters on July 1st or anything, but no way in hell will I volunteer for another leadership position.[/li][li]Health. I’m starting to think that I should go to the doctor, for a minor but persistent (and somewhat embarrassing) problem. I never go to the doctor. And my company just changed healthcare providers, so I’d be going to a new office and working with a new HMO. I could most likely let the situation resolve itself, but a tiny part of me keeps yelling at myself to just go get it checked out. Better safe than sorry, yadda yadda yadda.[/ul][/li]I’m nowhere near overwhelmed by any of this, and most of it will gradually resolve itself (and some of it is just me being stubborn/anal retentive/a worrier), but for some reason today – right now – I’m really feeling the weight. 
I don’t know why but as I’m reading your email, I’m getting this little tune in my skull…
…oops… hit submit too soon.
So anyway, all manageable stuff.
Money: Pay will be a bit less most months but a couple of the months will feel like a windfall with an extra paycheck.
Work: Get your resume out. I know you said you’re not on the chopping block but no sense in waiting until you are. Getting the resume circulating will give you the security of knowing you’re not just sitting back. Besides, you may find a great new job earning more.
School: It’s just jumping through the hoops. One assignment at a time.
Volunteer: Can you appoint (read: enlist) a second in command to help you out with your obligations?
Health: Get thee to a physician. It’s probably as simple as you think and just as easy to take care of. Once you do, it’s one thing less to worry about.
Are you salaried, so you get the same paycheck every week? If so, you should be able to figure out an approximate difference by dividing your yearly salary by 26 instead of 24. For example, if you get $24,000 a year ($1000/paycheck) currently, it’ll be $923/paycheck in the future. Obviously that’s gross, not net, but it should help ease your worries if you find that your individual paychecks aren’t dropping too much. Plus, twice a year, you’ll get three paychecks a month (looks like March is the first one this year, if you’re getting paid this week).
Logic? I vent about my stressed-ness and you reply with calm rationality? Dude, WTF? And I thought we were friends… 
Nope. Despite this setback my company is still a great place to work, I don’t want to leave, I’ve talked to my project manager and been told that my job is secure for at least another year or two, and the company is paying for my Master’s degree. I’ll do everything in my power to stick around at least until my degree is done. I know I’m leaving myself open for a slew of “I never thought it would happen to me” layoff stories, but seriously: I really have no desire to leave, and frankly at this point I’ll take my chances. So please, no lectures (from anyone).
Unfortunately, no. I mean, I’m allowed to, but there’s just no one to tap. Trust me, I would have done it months ago.
Hopefully. I called the 24-hour nurse line earlier, to find out if I could self-treat or if I should see a doc, and after asking me a bunch of questions she said, “Actually, my guidelines say that you should see your doctor within the next 18 hours. If he can’t get you in tomorrow, call this number again and we’ll refer you to an urgent care facility.” Sigh. I know it’s nothing serious, but I guess now I’m going to follow your advice! 
Yeah, I did that using my current take-home amount, and the monthly difference was my car payment. :eek: Then I realized that the new health benefits are an additional wild card, so between that and the different taxes I really have no idea what Friday’s check will look like. I just know it will be less, and right now anything less will make me a little stressed.
Oh, and thanks, guys.
I was lying in bed this morning, worrying about one thing after the next, so I started making an exaggerated list of all the things I can possibly worry about, and that made me laugh at myself. There’s only two kinds of problems in the world; the kind you can do something about, and the kind you can’t do anything about. For the kind you can do something about, figure out what to do. For the kind you can’t do anything about, forget 'em. Once you’ve figured something out, forget it.
There - all your problems (and mine) solved! Ta-da!
Obviously I don’t know what the trouble is, but getting it treated might just lead to a real reduction in your stress levels. Not just the worry about it, but the actual physical condition. And making the decision to call should help some, too.
My husband’s payday went back and forth from bi-weekly to semi-monthly several times over the years. Each time it took some adjustment, but it works. And if you can train yourself to think of the bi-weekly ones as semi-monthly, at least mostly, you will have that extra one a couple of times a year. Take some deep breaths and see what happens. It’ll work out better than you think.
Logic. It’s the new religion.
Thanks again, everyone. This board is the bestest.
I’m much better now – in fact, I was much better pretty much as soon as I posted. I can never stay in a funk or bad mood for long. Some of the things in my OP have been going on for several months, some will be resolved soon (like the paycheck thing – 3 more days!), and some won’t be resolved for several more months, but for some reason yesterday it just all hit me at the same time. And it made me a little sad. So I posted (i.e., whined). Which made me less sad.
Misnomer,
The VP Education and another VP should be able to handle quite a bit of what you do for Toastmasters. It’s all part of 'leadership" - give yourself a break and TELL them to help you!
Did you miss the part where I’m the Area Governor? My officers do a great job of helping with the club (my VPE and VPM are both amazing); however, the Area Governor duties are all mine. Also, the President can’t simply delegate everything; that’s no more “leadership” than never delegating anything.
Something else you don’t know is that I founded my club: in October 2003 I pitched the idea of a Toastmasters club to my company’s management, even though I had no experience with the organization. Since then I have been full-speed with Toastmasters: I was the club’s first VPE and now I’m the President, I participated in last year’s Evaluation Contest through the Division level, and at the end of September I was asked – by two District officers – to take over as Area Governor because the first one had to quit. Of course I’ll finish the next 6 months to the best of my ability (as I said in the OP), but I really don’t think it’s a reflection of my leadership ability to be feeling a little burned out at this point.