Are you feeling like every part of your body aches with fatigue? Is your mind feeling fuzzy and unable to focus? Are you having trouble sleeping, no matter how exhausted you feel? These are just some of the symptoms of stress burnout!
Everyone has stress in their lives, at least from time to time. It’s inevitable! The biggest problems come when we aren’t tuned into our bodies enough to register the impact of the cumulative stress we’ve been under.
When we are disconnected from those signals, our bodies have no choice but to start speaking more loudly to us. Please don’t wait until you have serious health challenges to deal with!
Take time to consider what you need right now. If you have been under a lot of stress lately, you might need to take some time out of your busy daily routine.
Think about what has to be done right now, and what can be put off for another time. Think about what you might just let go! Do you really need to go to that networking group? Does that report have to be done by you, or could someone else do it? It doesn’t matter what it is, seriously ask yourself if it’s absolutely necessary to attend to it. Give yourself some time and space to just breathe!
If your body has been holding a lot of stress, you might consider a massage, or a visit to a skilled chiropractor. Maybe what you need is a nap in the middle of the day, or an earlier bedtime for a few nights. Maybe you could use a few peaceful moments to meditate — to focus on quieting your mind and allowing yourself to connect to your breath. Maybe you could nurture both body and spirit by sitting down to a healthy dinner, with beautiful music playing, candles flickering softly, and a vase of fresh, colorful flowers nearby. These are just some of the possibilities to ease the impact of stress.
The point is to really take the time to gently consider what you need. Take the focus off of what others need, and turn it toward yourself. Register what has been going on for you lately, and think about how it may have affected you. Tune into what your body is trying to tell you.
Honor yourself, and meet your own needs. It’s only then, that you will be able to continue to be there for others!
Until next time,
Linda