I've been talking to lots of clients lately about stress. Parents all summer long talk about balancing work, childcare, and vacations. Young adults talk about going to college or grad school or changes in work schedules. Teachers talk about the "Sunday scaries" and the return back to work. It got me thinking, how do we define stress anyways? Why are people's definitions of stress so unique to them? Do we even have a universal way to describe stress?
If we want to understand our stress, it is often helpful to better define it. What does stress really mean? Keep in mind that there's both good stress and not so good stress.
Does stress mean I'm...
disappointed?
discouraged?
overworked?
bored?
underutilized?
overwhelmed?
struggling to/with (fill in the blank)?
excited?
encouraged?
tense?
on edge?
worn out/burnt out?
fearful of something?
Another part of this to think about is whether or not your basic needs have been met. Sometimes, our feelings of stress are exacerbated because we are hungry, tired, thirsty, or need to use the restroom. It can also be heightened if we haven't had enough time outside or been physically active in a while. It's certainly a consideration when we're trying to figure out how to navigate when we're feeling stressed.
Contact us if you want to talk through personalized strategies for conquering your own stress. We're here to help.
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