Stress at work can easily go undetected. This is because you are probably too busy trying to stay on top of tasks, and you simply have no time to even contemplate the amount of pressure that you are under. If you are concerned about your stress levels, then there are a few things that you can do to try and avoid being burnt out completely.
1. Unexplained Aches
Working in a very uncomfortable chair or even at a desk that is just the complete wrong height for you can cause you to become achy. If you are suffering from any aches and pains that cannot be explained through poor ergonomics, then this may signify that your body is under way too much pressure. Believe it or not, stress can cause a lot of physical symptoms, far more than you realise. If you have unexplained pain, then this can be a signal from your body that you are simply over taxing yourself.
2. Altered Appetite
If you skip out on lunch because you just don’t feel hungry anymore, then this could be a sign that you are just under too much pressure. If you are having to deal with too much stress, then your priorities will change, and you may find that you eat less so that you can deal with everything. On the flip side, you may find that you end up stuffing your face every chance you get, which is another way of dealing with stress. Whatever you do will ultimately depend on your personality, but at the end of the day, it’s important to know that a change in appetite is a huge sign of stress. If you want to make your meals more appealing, you can easily add adaptogenic herbs.
3. Problems with Sleep
If you are finding it hard to get to work on time, whether it’s because you slept in too late or because you are overtired from being awake all night, then this is another sign that you are under far too much stress at work. Changes in your sleep pattern is another indicator that you are under too much stress. It may be that your body feels as though it needs more rest in order to gather the energy to deal with the day ahead, or that you are simply being kept awake by your own worrying thoughts. It will depend on your personality and your situation in general, but either way, a different sleep pattern can easily indicate that you are under far too much pressure.
4. Feeling Lonely
Your office is probably packed with colleagues, but at the same time, you may feel like the loneliest person in the entire world. Stress can easily make you feel isolated, and it can also make you feel cut off from people. This is especially the case if you happen to take pressure personally. If stressors are clouding you and following you everywhere you go, then this can have a huge impact on your social life. When you are under pressure, you may find that there is an imbalance between the effort that you put into work and the overall reward that you get back from what you do.
5. Frequent Colds
When you are under too much pressure, you may find that your immune system becomes very compromised. When your resources go towards getting things done at work, your body does not have enough energy to ultimately protect itself from cold-like illnesses. If you seem to have the sniffles all the time when you are usually in very good health, then you need to take a look at your workload if possible. This will help you to find out if you are doing too much.
6. Sweating
If you are constantly feeling the need to go and freshen up in the bathroom, then it may be that you have a problem with sweating. The reason why work pressure may cause you to experience things like sweats is because your adrenal pressure will activate something known as a flight or fight response. This causes you to sweat. A lot of research has been done on this and people are still not sure why, but it is an indicator that you are under far too much pressure and something needs to be done. If you want to help yourself here, then the only thing that you can do is deal with the source of the stress. If you do not do this, then you may find that you are unable to stop the problem and that you go on to experience the symptoms for way longer than you need to.
