Becoming aware of stress
Ongoing stress is an indication that something needs to change: in your environment or in how you relate to your environment.
Did you know that when you don’t deal with whatever is causing you stress, your body continues to respond to the threat? Even when you’ve mentally blocked it out? This can result in physical symptoms such as headaches, high blood pressure, increased heart rate, digestive upsets, erratic menstrual cycles, and muscle tension.
But how do you become aware of stress?
Well, let’s start with any physical health challenges you may be experiencing such as those mentioned above: headaches, high blood pressure, increased heart rate, digestive upsets, erratic menstrual cycles, muscle tension, or maybe there’s something else that bothers you. These symptoms may be there all the time or just come and go – especially when you’re tired and run down. Do you have any of these? What are they? Write them down. You may be so used to these health challenges you don’t even really notice them anymore – you’ve just learned to deal with them so you can get on with life. But what if they’re there because they’ve been trying to tell you something?
Next, reflect on your emotions and mental function. Do you find yourself becoming teary, irritated, or frustrated? Are you triggered emotionally by small things, feel overwhelmed or like you can’t think straight? Is your emotional and mental ‘flow’ unfolding in a way that just isn’t like you? If so, add your observations to your notes.
When you’ve written your list of health challenges and made some notes about your emotional and mental function, have a think about when the physical, mental or emotional challenges or changes started and write this down too. What was happening in your life at the time these things started showing up?
Then, reflect on when the symptoms or mental and emotional changes flare up or get worse. What’s happening in your life in these moments? For example, have you been working long hours, not eating well, not getting time to yourself or having the opportunity to do what you want. Perhaps it’s when you’re with a certain person or group of people, after a big night out, or at a certain time of the month. Write down what’s happening around the time of the flare up. If you have many health challenges or mental/emotional shifts, do this with each of them.
As you write things down, you may start to notice a pattern. Is there something consistently showing up? If so, this can be an indication of where there is stress for you.
Is there something you’d like to change? What can you do about it?
Please note: the information in this blog is for educational purposes only. If you have health concerns that require attention, please contact your preferred health professional.
