Stress affects everybody and it’s present in every situation. People experience stress in their personal lives, especially if things are not going well. They also experience stress at work. Being healthy and fit can also be a source of stress, if you perceive yourself as less fit than you ought to be.
No matter what you’re trying to accomplish and whether it’s personal or professional in nature, stress is the constant factor. So the extent to which a person is successful in their life is directly proportionate to how well they deal with stress. Here are some questions to ask yourself to figure out how much stress affects you:
Are you overworking? Overworking is one of the main sources of stress at work. There are people who work far more than the 40 hours per week which is considered full-time. Think about it. Do you stay at your desk during lunch? Do you stay overtime quite a few days every week? Are you carrying work home with you? If so, then you need some mechanisms which will help you to cut down on the workload and become more efficient.
When did you last take a vacation? A lot of people don’t realize it but it’s necessary to get away from your daily life for at least a week or two every year. It’s good to experience new things or just hang out on the beach and sip pina coladas. You may think that you have weekends to kick back and relax, so you don’t really need a vacation. But the fact is that your brain needs more than just a couple of days to tune out from work completely.
Do you have a hobby? It’s not just necessary to work less. You also need to have something to do in your spare time. If not, then your brain is still going to be stuck thinking about work. If you have a hobby, then your mind gets distracted. You think about something else for a while. And this can be more therapeutic than taking time off.