5 questions to ask yourself to discover if you are stressed or overwhelmed

[5 questions to ask yourself to discover if you are stressed or overwhelmed]

That is to say, if you were to dismiss, disguise, discount, disregard or simply not be aware of a feeling you associate with stress or overwhelm, how would you know it was present?

It’s a useful question I think because we have a way of dismissing or desensitising threats if we perceive greater or more tangible threats to be present.

Such as creating or maintain the success of our company.

Before long we can end up normalising it as how our experience of life should be and in so doing dismissing all of negative side effects that come with it.

Here are a few useful questions you can ask yourself to discover if stress and overwhelm are at root cause:

1. Are you currently repeating practises that you know for certain produce the opposite of the things you say you want?

For example, you want to feel energised and alert but take 6 hours sleep or want your staff to be autonomous but keep telling them what to do.

2. Do you find yourself getting frustrated or even angry with those who don’t see the world exactly the way you do or who fail to meet your expectations?

Eg the kids do something you didn’t want them to do or one of your team or a business partner failed to deliver something in time to serve your needs.

3. Do you find yourself serving other peoples agendas above your own?

Eg you answer emails or let people pick your brains but get to the end of the day and haven’t achieved what you set out to.

4. Do you find yourself procrastinating or putting off tasks or conversation that you know will have the greatest positive impact in your business and instead focusing on busy work of lower impact?

5. Do you find yourself being silent or avoiding tasks at home that you know need doing in the hope that your partner will do them if you ignore them long enough?

Eg you ignore the child waking in the night despite being awake or avoid helping with day to day tasks like cooking or filling the dishwasher.

These all sound like judgements I know, but they aren’t, far from it.

The judgment stems from the false idea that we are ALWAYS rational and creative beings despite what’s going in our internal and external environments.

Something we ALL know for certain not to be true.

What I’m attempting to provide is a clear map so that you can observe at least some of the ways that stress and overwhelm present themselves so that you can take action sooner both for yourself and to support those around you.

Are there any signs and symptoms that I’ve missed that are read flags for you?