For all its bad reputation, stress isn’t necessarily a negative thing. It’s a response from your body to changes in your life.
“Good” things can cause stress as frequently as “bad.”
The stress created by getting a new job, increased responsibilities in caring for a loved one or the arrival of a baby can take its toll just as much as losing someone you care about or getting laid off from work.
Good stress and bad add up. Sometimes it can equal too much but how do you know?
The following are ten warning signs that stress could be getting to be too much.
1. Fatigue or exhaustion that interferes with daily activities.
2. Sleeplessness or bouts of insomnia caused by a list of concerns and worries.
3. Irritability or moodiness that may trigger negative responses and reactions.
4. Anxiety about what the future holds.
5. Depression that affects your ability to cope and weakens your spirit.
6. Lack of concentration that makes it difficult to perform familiar tasks.
7. Health problems such as headaches, backaches, chest pains, constipation or diarrhea, or a change in appetite.
8. Anger and difficulty in controlling your temper.
9. Social withdrawal from friends and activities that once brought pleasure.
10. Feeling overwhelmed or out of control. Simple stress reduction techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, relaxation or exercise may be able to reduce these symptoms.
If you are experiencing several of these warning signs, or you’re unable to maintain balance, you may need help in identifying and dealing with the stressors in our life.
Remember I’m here to help. By partnering with a coach, you can identify your stressors, make a plan to manage them and enhance your general well-being during this caring season.
I would love to talk and share more about what it would look like to work together.
Email me today!
Rayna Neises understands the joys and challenges that come from a season of caring. She helped care for both of her parents during their separate battles with Alzheimer’s over a thirty-year span. She is able to look back on those days now with no regrets – and she wishes the same for every woman caring for aging parents.
To help others through this challenging season of life, Rayna has written No Regrets: Hope for Your Caregiving Season, a book filled with her own heart-warming stories and practical suggestions for journeying through a caregiving season. She is also the editor of Content Magazine– Finding God in Your Caregiving Season. Rayna is an ICF Associate Certified Coach with certifications in both Life and Leadership Coaching from the Professional Christian Coaching Institute.
She is prepared to help you through your own season of caring. Learn more at ASeasonOfCaring.com and connect with Rayna on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Read other articles by Rayna
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