Is your lifestyle causing stress and burnout?
Kristin Coppens
| 2 min read
I am definitely the type of person who says ‘yes’ to everything and tends to overload her schedule. While this typically works out well and allows for me to showcase my abilities, it can also cause stress and burnout. Feeling stressed is a pretty universal claim in our society, as we can all sympathize in one-way or the other. However, allowing those stress and burnout type feelings to fester can create negative effects on your health and wellbeing.
The tricky thing about feeling stressed is that because it is a common occurrence in our society, we tend to think stress is only a problem if we are so exhausted we cannot get out of bed. On the contrary, stress encompasses mental, emotional, and physical issues within the body; it also creeps up on you.
Dr. Nancy Molitor, a psychiatry professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, notes, “Emotional stress alerts the body to produce stress chemicals such as cortisol, which, if produced on an ongoing basis, begins to break down the immune, gastrointestinal, neurological, and musculoskeletal systems.”
To counteract the negative effect of stress on your body, the most beneficial things to do include getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, exercising, and having supportive friends and family.
Nevertheless, there are certain factors to look out for when finding symptoms of stress and burnout in your life. Once you understand your symptoms, you can recognize them before they become out of control, and work on preventative measures for proper mental, emotional, and physical health.
Stress Red Flags:
Stomachaches
Eyelid Twitching
Back Pain
Rashes
Eyelid Twitching
Back Pain
Rashes
Burnout Red Flags:
Inability to Concentrate
Guilt
Frequent Mood Changes
Increased Drinking
Guilt
Frequent Mood Changes
Increased Drinking
In fact, if you are worried about where your lifestyle stands in terms of stress and burnout, experts offer a quick burnout self-test to figure out what is causing your stress and what you can do to take care of it and prevent it from getting worse. Take your evaluation here.
What stress relief techniques work for you?
Photo credit: bottled_void
