6 SIGNS THAT YOU'RE OVER-STRESSED 

by Cameron Russell, Daily-Update

If you're in business, particularly if you are self-employed, you need to manage a broad range of resources, including the time, money, equipment, intellectual property and physical energy of both yourself and others. Such management of resources can be draining. If the computers collapse or if there is a big trade show coming up, you may have to put in long hours, or at least work in a more concentrated fashion during office hours.

The danger, of course, is that major problems or opportunities can demand so much of your attention that balance goes out the window. You can easily start to neglect your family and friends, neglect your physical body or neglect your spiritual life. You can even start to feel guilty if you are not putting in 16-hour days. The path towards burnout is not a steep spiral - it is gradual, incremental spiral downwards. 

Recognizing unhealthy signs is therefore crucial:

1. Look at your body - are fat deposits showing up above your eyelids or around your midriff (or are you losing too much weight? Does your skin or hair look unhealthy? Are your eyes often bloodshot?

2. How does your body feel? Do you have a sore back, sore joints, headaches, tense shoulders, chest pain, indigestion? Is stress exhausting your immune system and leading to poor health? Do you have sexual problems such as missed periods or impotence? Are you having trouble sleeping? Are you overly tired?

3. Listen to your body. Is your breathing becoming more shallow or rapid? Is your heartbeat speeding up or becoming irregular? How's your blood pressure? Are you getting oversensitive and snappy? Are you rarely having a genuine hearty laugh?

4. Observe your mind. Are you having trouble concentrating, remembering, or making decisions? Are your thoughts getting repetitive? Do you feel unmotivated, anxious or depressed? Are you dreaming about escaping or having other negative thoughts? Is your mind either racing out of control or sluggish? Are you losing confidence?

5. Observe those close to you. Are your family and friends getting tired of working around your business commitments? Are they being affected by violence or offended by your behaviour?

6. Observe your habits. How much time is spent with family and friends? How much time is spent sleeping? What about exercise?
Are you starting to smoke or drink more? Is your coffee intake increasing? Are you taking drugs? Is your diet becoming unhealthyAre your eyes twitching from too much computer or nervousness? Are you biting your nails, bouncing your leg, scratching, grinding your teeth or shopping more often?

Knowing the warning signs can be useful for those who hadn't realized they were over-stressed. They might be able to do something about it, such as prioritising the demands on their time. For these people, the materials below might be of assistance.

Other people may know full well what the cause of the stress is, but just put up with it because they see no way out. They may have suffered trauma or they may have severe family or financial problems. These people may need to seek professional help.

Either way, if you're over-stressed please do something about it because it is a very unhealthy condition in many ways.

• to make things happen rather than go
  with the flow (through character growth)
   
• to be more productive and less
  stressed (through personality growth)
   
• to prioritize and get back to the basics
  (including better communication with
  family and friends)
   
• to renew themselves physically,
  spiritually, mentally, socially and
  emotionally (through balanced self-
  renewal that creates an upward spiral
  of growth)

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Stephen R. Covey

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