Stress can be helpful. It helps us focus when we are on high alert. For example, the stress of driving through a thunderstorm is helpful for giving you the adrenaline you need to focus on driving. Stress is also useful for things like minimizing procrastination. Feeling the doom of an upcoming deadline and acting on it is another example for how stress helps. But, if you’re constantly stressed, it can be harmful. So how can you tell when it’s too much?
Where Does Stress Come From?
Stress is your brain and your body’s response to situational stimuli. Apart from the examples I gave earlier, stress can come from having a lot of responsibilities. It can also arise from life changes that are both in and out of your control. Even something that is traditionally considered “happy”, like getting married or going on vacation, can induce stress. Feeling like you lost control over things that are happening in your life is stressful. And, enduring conflict in personal and work relationships can cause stress as well.
Common Physiological Signs
- shortness of breath
- lack of motivation
- persistent worries
- difficulty sleeping
- elevated heart rate
- difficulty concentrating
- constipation or diarrhea
- feeling jittery
- teeth grinding
- tension in neck and shoulders
- low libido
- increased irritability
- decreased appetite
- being on the verge of tears
How much is too Much?
Sometimes we are on autopilot. We have a daily routine established and we’re putting out fires throughout the day. Sometimes it feels like you never stop. It can start to feel like you never get to do anything for yourself. There can be days where every morning is spent processing your impending doom. There can be times where you start to feel unexplained aches and pains all over your body or unexplained stomach issues.
If you get to the point where you start missing important deadlines and you feel like there’s nothing that you can do about it, it’s serious. It can be deadlines related to either work or home life. If you get to the point where you feel like you cannot keep up with your personal hygiene, it’s serious. It usually starts slow, you might skip a small task like putting lotion on your skin. It can gradually turn into skipping a day or two brushing your hair, then eventually turn into skipping showers.
If you get to the point where you’re skipping meals and still don’t feel hungry, it’s serious. If you have managed to be so stressed out that you no longer have an appetite, it’s absolutely cause for concern. If you feel like your constant worries are stopping you from functioning, it’s serious. How can you do what you need to do every day if you’re spending the entire day in your worries? If you are unable to interact with your friends and family, it’s serious.
Excessive stress can take a toll on your body and cause medical problems. It can put you at risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and obesity.
Children can feel when their parents feelings even if they can’t verbalize it. Your sentences might be shorter or you can be quicker to temper. You may also be more tired than usual when your child wants to play. It’s serious because it is literally stopping you from living your life. It is literally stopping you from managing your day-to-day experience.
How Do I address it?
The easiest way to tackle stress is to remove yourself from the situation. However, being part of the sandwich generation, we know that this isn’t always possible. We have obligations that we often wish we didn’t have to worry about. It is still our duty to put our best foot forward for the task while also putting in an equal amount of effort into protecting your well-being.
Sometimes removing yourself from a stressful situation requires more planning. For example, instead of suddenly quitting a job, it helps to have something else lined up. That way, you don’t put yourself in a bad financial situation without a backup plan. The next step is to talk to your doctor about how you have been feeling because if you don’t take care of yourself, then you are putting your health in jeopardy.
Whenever we feel stressed out, that’s a signal that our brain is pumping out stress hormones. If sustained over months and years, those hormones can ruin our health and make us a nervous wreck.
Daniel Goleman
You must take the time to take care of yourself. Taking care of yourself is not a one-and-done deal. It’s about putting in the effort to make sure you are adequately decompressing from the stress. It also helps to do things like deep breathing and meditation. Also, taking the type to practice gratitude can make a big difference in how much stress your body is feeling.
Don’t forget to eat mindfully and try to pick nutritious meals that will give you enough energy to keep going. When you’re stressed out, it’s very easy to eat the things that make us feel most comfortable.
