My own experience (a year further on than you) is that the flying seems more stressful irrespective of how often you fly because you are in that period where you start to realise that the PPL was just the start. I doubt you really are less proficient now - you are probably just more aware of any deficiencies. Reading the posts on here emphasises how much there is still to learn and experience.
That makes sense. I guess I'm just jealous of the instructors I fly with that always seem to be very relaxed, and yet can still remember every single thing and notice any tiny abnormalities. But I guess I'll never get to that level of proficiency unless I fly several hours a day.
Perhaps you should set aside some time during your flying time to practise some emergency procedures - for example, tomorrow I will be flying and have scheduled for myself an emergency landing from 2000' agl onto the runway without power (if the airfield isn't too busy).
I really should start doing that, too. Good idea.
1. I joined Air Search as a pilot. This provides me with challenges that require me to use all of the things I have learned concerning air law, nav, weather, and weight/balance. This stops me simply flying around areas that I know and becoming complacent with modern GPS capability. It also is a very worthwhile charity (here in the UK).
That sounds like a really good idea. Too bad I can't seem to find anything like that near where I live (western Canada).
It might be a good idea to ask yourself - why stay current in the first place?
Because I really want to be able to do fun flights once or twice a month. I'd love to do more, but life and weather often get in the way. But in order to do that, I need to be current, which seems to require a lot more flying than that.
I am WAY within club and legal currency, but I feel like I'm not very practically current.