Stress management is an important skill and is necessary for living a joyful and healthy life. Using the Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory is helpful in determining the amount of stress experienced over the past year. Sometimes we are not aware of the amount of stress we are facing and can feel overwhelmed very quickly. Understanding the amount of stress we experience is important to ensure the success of our stress management process. After completing the stress inventory, I realized that the past year had its fair share of stressful situations. Fortunately for my family and I, we faced them head on and dealt with them in a positive manner. At the start of this mission, I didn't think the previous year had been so stressful. However, after taking a stress inventory, I realized that I was wrong and that the year was actually very stressful. The Stress Inventory helped me remember very difficult times in our household over the past year, even if they ended up working out well. It is worth noting, among all the stressful situations that occurred last year; only one was a negative situation. It was a very good year for my family. I always view stress as a byproduct of a problem that has presented itself. I am grateful that we were able to rise to the occasion in each case and meet the challenges presented to us without fail. The year started off pretty well. I found out that I had been selected to become a commissioned officer in the United States Navy earlier this year. The bad news was that I would be commissioned in October. The stress started to pile up when we realized we had to settle our oldest daughter into college and plan a commissioning ceremony...... middle of paper ...... the vel is low on a daily basis, whereas it was extremely high a few years ago. My current stress level is a little higher than normal as I am currently deployed away from home. It's always a bit hard, but I often have the opportunity to talk to my family. Going back to college has also added to the stress level, but oddly enough the stress has been alleviated because I'm not missing any extra family time. Each module I complete also makes me a little more comfortable. This essay covers some of the stressful situations I have faced over the past year. The Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory helped identify stressful situations that I did not consider stressful. Knowing effective ways to combat stress can help make any situation a little easier to overcome. Stress will happen. How We Handle Stress Will Dictate Success or Failure.