It’s nearly Christmas, and the shops are fuller, the goose is getting fatter and stress is at an all-time high for the year! Stress, like doughnuts, is a good thing in moderation...
We all need a bit of excitement to keep us on our toes and adrenalin to help us perform at our best – let’s face it, it used to be nature’s way of helping us flee from the sabre-toothed tiger chasing us and whilst there are not too many of those around any more, thankfully, these days our stressors wear different guises and they are different for each individual person. Many of us will sail along happily for a few weeks feeling that all is well in our world, that we can juggle things successfully enough, we’re just ‘a bit frazzled’. And then something extra comes along to add to the load, and our boat suddenly feels like it’s listing and threatens to capsize. It’s easy to make the mistake of thinking this is a sudden slip into overload, but it isn’t – we have been coasting slowly into this position for a long while, but not giving it our attention.
So how do we know when we’re under too much pressure for us to cope healthily with, whether it’s self-inflicted stress or the external form that we experience at work, at home and in juggling all of the above. The signs of too much stress include cognitive, emotional, physical and behavioural symptoms that, left unattended, come screaming to the fore: trouble thinking clearly, lack of capacity to see the positive in things; constant worrying; sense of feeling overwhelmed; restlessness; insomnia; muscle tension and stiffness; eating more or less; overreaction to events or unexpected problems and procrastination to mention just a few, and we’re suddenly aware that the sea has gone into ‘storm’ mode and our boat is in trouble.
To stop yourself getting into that position, all you have to do is be aware of how you respond to stress and make the adjustments necessary to curb the tide into overwhelm before you start feeling the extreme discomfort and helplessness that comes with high levels of stress.
Being in tune with our own levels of energy and state is simply paying attention to ourselves and, ultimately, taking responsibility for our lives. In getting to understand best how we operate, we can more easily get ourselves into a position where we make wiser choices throughout all aspects of our lives and support others who aim to do the same. It’s all part of respecting yourself and feeling you deserve a space on this planet that’s a happy one.
So get researching Project You and slow down for a while amidst the shopping, visiting and wrapping – long enough to Stop, Look and Listen to yourself and learn who you are and what makes you tick or scream. Then do so again. And again … and so on, until you recognise the symptoms that mark your need to take some time out and re-charge your batteries. It could be the best Christmas present you’ve ever received.
And here’s an idea for a Christmas present you can give to a loved one - the opportunity to do the same. When my children were very young, I would have given anything to have a bit of time to myself to reflect, so why not do that for a friend? A voucher can be put together on the pc for next to nothing and a day to herself could be just what a friend needs. It’s an idea…
So, why not spend the next few days noticing what makes you feel stressed and writing it down? It may surprise you. And to balance things out, write another list – this time of things that you do to relax and re-charge your batteries. I run the Heart & Soul Choir - a choir of 30 fabulous ladies and we rehearse our selection of funky and uplifting songs every week, and that hour and a half of singing and giggles makes us all feel good (the chat in the pub afterwards helps, too!). Find what makes you smile and do more of it.
Content provided by Roz McLeod.
Roz McLeod is a top Personal & Professional Development Coach specialising in Motivating Women and Teens. She also contributes to VitalityLive.co.uk with an uplifting monthly coaching article. To find out more about Roz’s training & coaching company, Tall Poppy Training & Coaching, visit her website www.tallpoppytrainingandcoaching.com or contact her on 07745 852836.
Roz will be holding FREE talks entitled 'What are you waiting for? Let’s LIVE TODAY!' in the One Life Theatre on Thursday at 2:30pm, Saturday at 5:30pm and Sunday at 11:30am. She will also be holding workshops entitled 'Frenemies: How to identify and manage some of the wolves in sheep’s clothing in your life' on Thursday at 12:30pm and Saturday at 3:30pm.
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