If you’ve ever been to a doctor only to hear a sentence: “It’s stress” then it’s time to learn how to listen to your body and prevent that from ever happening again.
And if that didn’t happen yet, there’s no better time to stop that trauma from ever happening to you.
I am sure you know all about all the consequences of stress.
We are often told that stress causes headaches, heart diseases, blood pressure problems, it can lead to heart attacks and in severe cases death.
It’s all true.
But maybe it would also be useful to know how to recognize it before it comes to destroy our health and peace.
So here are a few signs you should listen to and take action immediately.
1. You’re becoming cranky.
Seriously, it is a good sign that you should rest or deal with whatever is making you feel this way.
If you notice that everyone and everything is getting on your nerves, it just might be you.
So ask yourself, what is it that truly makes you nervous?
If you are not sure how to answer this, start by grading your life areas such as work, finances, family, health, personal time, personal development, etc. and see which number is the lowest.
Start there.
2. You are not sleeping well
Whether you sleep too little because you have a hard time falling asleep or you have a tough time getting up in the morning, anything that messes with your usual rhythm is telling you to slow down.
If you’re waking up a lot of times during the night or you have so many thought in your head you can’t get them out, it is time to implement a new routine.
Prayer.
Meditation.
Massage.
Spending time with loved ones.
Long walks before bed.
Eating healthy food.
Soothing music or sounds during sleep.
Exercising.
Writing a diary.
Anything from this list will have an effect.
Choose one try it out for a few days.
Your mind and body will thank you by restoring the balance.
3. You’re losing weight
Faced with a lot of stress our body wants to prepare us for the danger we’re facing.
(It doesn’t know it’s just a board meeting or an important decision in the making.)
So it spends more calories during that time.
Also, our blood pressure is higher, the heart is beating faster, and we’re sweating a bit more.
That’s why sometimes we eat more than usual.
But in most cases, in high-stress situations, from all the worry, we don’t have food on our minds at all.
So the solution is not to eat more, but to realize what truly matters to you and is your health worth that decision you need to make or does it really depend on how the meeting will go.
Stress is not a sign that you care about those things around you, but that you do not care about yourself at all.
So if you’re starting to feel overwhelmed, take a few minutes, a deep breath and ask yourself what are the three most important things to you in your life?
Is it your family or friends, your health or wellbeing of those around you, is it helping others and achieving your goals?
Then answer this question, honestly:
