Living with chronic stress can sometimes make you feel like you’re walking on a tightrope!
Every single movement along the rope is a test of how well you can balance so you can remain upright…safe.
The journey from end to end is full of worry and anxiety. And there is the constant fear that something will happen to cause you to fall.
The key to balancing on a tightrope is to lower the body’s centre of gravity toward the wire. If your body mass is closer to the rope, you become more stable.
But our natural instinct on a tightrope is to lean forward which actually makes it harder to balance.
With stress our natural instinct is to find coping mechanisms.
Things like smoking, comfort eating, sleeping too much or taking out your stress on others may give you some limited relief, they don’t remove the problem or lead to finding a solution.
They are a bit like leaning forward on that tightrope – leading to you becoming even more unsteady and at risk of falling.
Instead, you need to get closer to the rope.
This means facing the cause of your stress head on.
Learning to recognise the source of your stress is the first essential step to managing it.
If you need help with this, it’s often useful to talk to a coach, or a mentor, an understanding manager or a friend. If your stress is overwhelming it could be time to consult a health professional.
Left unaddressed, chronic stress can lead to physical or emotional problems. So don’t rationalise your symptoms away.
Doing something, however small, to start to take control of how you’re feeling will be one step to a more balanced future.
If you’re interested in finding out more about managing your stress, please Click here to arrange a free Discovery Call.
Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash