When stress starts to impact your daily life
“I’m feeling so stressed out!”
We’ve all said that at one point or another in life. It could be leading up to finals in high school or maybe a big deadline is looming at work. When the demands of life exceed our personal and social bandwidth…we hit a point of stress.
It happens to everyone. Maybe you’re stuck in a never-ending traffic jam and are racing against the clock to get to an important event. Or perhaps you’re balancing work stress while trying to support a family member through a tough time. Stress can be emotionally draining and challenging. But a certain amount of stress can motivate us and keep us challenged.
So when does it become a problem? When the volume exceeds your personal threshold of tolerance, stress can take over and start to impact every single aspect of your life. From headaches and heartburn to insomnia and high blood pressure, stress can completely mess with your body. Both physically and mentally, stress can make you feel like you’re carrying the weight of the world.
So what do you do about it?
Go see a counsellor. Chronic stress is treatable and so instead of letting it run your life, it’s time for you to take control and learn some tools to be more mindful of personal and social needs.
Learn to say no. A lot of stress comes from saying “yes” to things that don’t fill our bucket. Just because you have a friend who thrives from social gatherings, doesn’t mean you have to be at every single one of them. Pick and choose the activities and events that fuel you and say no to the rest.
Go for a walk. Staying active and healthy is key to tackling stress, but it’s not always realistic (or of interest!) to get in a full workout. So stop beating yourself up for not going to the gym. Put on your shoes and go for a walk around the block. Start with every evening after supper and let it evolve from there. Added bonus? You might sleep better too if you’re getting some movement in through the day.
It can’t be said enough: everyone has a different stress tolerance. The more you can open up and be understanding and compassionate with yourself about what your tolerance level is, the better. Stress is treatable. Don’t let yourself get stuck in that rut.