Our bodies often know what we are feeling before we do. They are automatically responding to the situations we are involved in. Situations that we ourselves are not always consciously attuned to. An example of this is the body’s response to stress. Almost everyone has become aware of their body’s immediate response to stress (i.e. a faster heartbeat, breathing rate increase, and possibly even starting to sweat). What is often overlooked is the body’s response to continued and prolonged stress.
Many people are not in touch with the day to day changes their bodies continue to go through in response to long term stress. Disrupted sleep patterns, continued high blood pressure, and weight increase name a few responses that can ‘sneak-up’ on a person if they are not in-tune with themselves and their world. Some dismiss the signs as fleeting or blame these responses on other causes.
To see how stress may be affecting you, start by monitoring yourself. How might stress be impacting your life? How might it be affecting your health? Your mind? Are you noticing any of the signs listed above?
Life is too short to allow stress to control you anymore. It’s time to create a plan of action. Find ways to take care of yourself. Engage in activities and with people that will fill you with energy rather than deplete your energy. Reconnect with the world around you, with friends and with loved ones.
Stress is not always avoidable but it is manageable.