Broken sleep, a change in appetite, mood swings, headaches, constant exhaustion or aching muscles….. sound familiar?
These symptoms could be your body’s way of warning you of the presence of stress which can easily become a big part of our lives with daily challenges and difficulties to be faced.
When there is an imbalance between the demands of a situation and our ability to cope with those demands, stress manifests. At times we create our own stressor’s when our imagination takes over, worry sets in and we imagine the worst.
We get stressed by assuming other peoples reactions , or what we think their expectations of us are.
Most times it is our reactions to an event, not the event itself, that causes us the problem. We can’t always change the event. BUT we can learn to modify our attitudes and the way we react, and so minimize the stress.
The human body is well designed to cope with crises. You can handle short-term stress an hour or two per day, or even a couple of days max – with minimal negative effect on your body. Anymore than that and you become aware of much you are carrying.
You may have become so used to it that it feels normal!
When stress levels are higher than you can cope with, your body will give you warning signs…
Your fuse is shorter ….
Confused thinking…or you may feel tired all the time..
Your neck, back and shoulders may ache….
But then that’s normal for someone leading your busy lifestyle or someone your age……or so you think!
Time to check the stress levels on the barometer
Your body is a barometer of your stress level – learn to listen to it. Ignore it and your symptoms will become worse until you become so sick you can’t ignore it any longer.
By acknowledging the stress, you can then use it as an indicator to identify those areas you may need to change. For instance, is your current job the problem? Maybe you have a longing to follow your passion and pursue you dream
Perhaps a relationship is no longer working for you. What ever it is, the stress is raising your awareness giving you the opportunity to deal with the issue and face the reality of the situation.
It is only then that we begin to realize the opportunities that change can bring.
Reducing stress is challenging but learning techniques to mange it will improve your health.
