When stress moves in
Puffy, tired, sore and foggy for no reason you can point to. Long-running stress doesn't stay in your head. It moves into the body and starts rearranging the furniture.
Seven ways it shows up
Anywhere from mild to severe. You don't need all seven.
The bucket
Every stressor is a drip into the same bucket, including the ones that don't feel like stress. It overflows when what's coming in beats what's draining out.
Why it hits some people harder
Same stress, different bucket. Some of this you can't change. A lot of it you can build.
Makes you more stress-sensitiveBeing isolated. Hard early-life experiences. A pessimistic, reactive outlook. Too much time in go-go-go settings like work. Few coping skills, or none.
Makes you more stress-resistantA strong support network. A sense of control. A go-with-the-flow attitude. Time in calm places. Coping skills you've practised, like slow breathing.
Six steps
In this order. The first one is not optional.
Find your five
Aim for five stress relievers that work for you, so there's always one within reach. Try one for two weeks, see what changes, keep it or swap it.
First, rule out other things
No jokes in this part.
See your doctor first. Anemia, thyroid problems and other conditions look and feel exactly like this. A blood test can rule them out.
Talk to a therapist if the stress is coming from something you can't timebox: a relationship, a loss, work that's doing real damage.
This page is coaching, not a diagnosis.
Talk to a therapist if the stress is coming from something you can't timebox: a relationship, a loss, work that's doing real damage.
This page is coaching, not a diagnosis.
