We all know you COULD fully use your strength to create, love, and help save the world…
If you only had the time & energy.
It’s time to recognize and acknowledge that the long term effects of stress are a very real problem, and then take care of your sweet self more ferociously. Act as if your life, livelihood, and health depended on the way you manage your stress.
Because it does.
In addition, you might’ve noticed it’s affecting your relationships, clarity of thinking and how you show up each day.
It’s time to act as if your energy imprint on this planet meant something. Which it does.
It all matters. Which brings us right to sign number one….
#1 Forgetting that You matter.
How you take care of yourself matters. Even those of us that are well partnered, or in a large family, can feel alone at times. Even if you have some support or team that helps handle some of the responsibility that life’s been demanding… it often feels like there’s still too much for you to do.
If you’ve got any relationship drama, family problems, or other people in your life that just aren’t pulling their weight…you could be the one feeling the entire weight of any success or failures on your lone shoulders.
This leads to doing even more, overworking and losing track of what’s happening at home and within. In addition, here are some of the signs to look for that indicate that you might be headed toward a burnout. Not the cool kind.
#2 Insomnia… or Fatigue
Two sides on the same coin..Both prevent you from enjoying life. The human body is only capable of handling so much stress -without giving your body and brain enough time to recover before starting another high-stress day. At some point your body will want to give up, causing severe fatigue and possibly other illnesses that’ll keep you out of the game.
If your brain can’t shut down because you’re consumed with fear, decision making, or relationship drama, your sleep pattern will get disrupted.
The Australian Aboriginal people say the Dreamtime is sacred. There is no word for time in their language. Everything is always now. They share that the Dreamtime is the beginning of knowledge, from which came the very laws of existence. More importantly, you don’t want to be separated from that!
#3 Decision fatigue
A new kind of tired. It’s a common problem of today’s fast-paced society. Making tons of decisions all day erodes your willpower, which can create unhealthy, unhelpful patterns. Extended periods of time making complex decisions will make you feel totally fried.
Put two and two together, being overtired and lacking energy for anything meaningful or fun, affects your satisfaction- overall. Meaning, you’re likely to be dissatisfied-more often than not…Maybe even, possibly…angry.
Keep making those faces and it’ll freeze like that.
For every minute you are angry you lose 60 seconds of happiness.
-Ralph waldo Emerson
#4 Procrastination.
Another sign something’s keeping you from the good stuff. Cringing at the length of your to-do list? Your creative muses left you? Feeling like you’d never get anything done anyway??
Procrastination leads to missed opportunities and feelings of low self worth. In other words, you’re literally delaying your own good. More on WHY you’re procrastinating here.
#5 Changes in appetite
Maybe stress causes you to overeat comfort foods, or binge on sweets, or chips. For others, there’s just no joy in food, and the stress reduces the appetite.. Neither extreme is good for your body.
One simple strategy for better health and mental peace, is taking lunch breaks away from your desk or couch and choose natural, healthy good food instead of fast food garbage-y things. Check out my program Better Foods for Better moods and a healthy body.
#6 Anxiety
High stress causes anxiety. Constant low stress can also cause anxiety. Annoyingly, other people’s anxiety can cause anxiety. It can cause a gripping fear, other random pain and itching physical symptoms or a variety of dis-eases. I learned this the hard way and so have you.
Keep in mind: there’s a big difference between the type of anxiety you feel when stepping out of your comfort zone for something new versus stress-induced anxiety that doesn’t seem to go away. Just noticing this can make a big difference.
First, take responsibility for your whole body, mind, and spirit.
Then take quiet time to relax.
Get outdoors and breathe in some fresh air.
Perhaps try unplugging for a whole weekend and live in the moment with good people. Reconnect with old friends. Start a hobby. The choices are limitless, which is why how you do self care is so important, and choosing the right self care practices save you time, money and energy.
Moreover, a self care balance makes you, your work, and your loved ones happy. As a welcome side effect, making time for self-care and relaxation will improve your overall health and mental wellbeing.
It’s safe to conclude that time addressing your self care’s a great investment because your well-being is priceless.
There’s a secret online space here dedicated to magical self-care. I call it the Sanctuary. You’ll discover that simple ways you can create happiness and success with way less stress.
Visit anytime. 24/7
