Workaholic or Stress Addict?

Recently, I came across the concept that you can be addicted to your emotions. Huh.

This got me thinking. As creatures of habit, we get used to being in a certain state. Busy is one for me, and I'm sure it is for many of you. In today's fast-paced world, simply the volume of information coming at us drives us to busyness. Many workplaces are full of constant demands, deadlines, and insecurity, which puts the accelerator on the stress pedal.

When you add AI, keeping up with change, obligations as parents, children of aging parents, partners, and any other roles you have, life can get a little crazy—in other words, just plain stressful.

Vacation Anyone?

I remember going on a vacation a few years ago. I was used to being busy with emails, calls, writing, deadlines, and more, and then suddenly, it all stopped to be at the beach. After a few hours, I thought, I don't know if I could be here for a week. Surely, I will go crazy!

Slowing down, let alone stopping, was not part of my modus operandi. After a few days, I slowed down and enjoyed the leisurely pace. Was this my stress detox? At the end of our week away, I thought I really could do a few more days at the beach and not go crazy.

Stress comes from the often high and unrealistic expectations we place on doing it all and striving for it all. When this becomes our daily reality, we become somewhat accustomed to the pressures of running the race. When there is a pause, we aren't used to this and quickly look for other things to fill the gap.

Change

Gaps can be more noticeable when significant changes happen, such as kids going off to school or college, having a health issue that causes you to stop, financial changes such as paying off debt, or even changes in relationships. All these things can impact the pace of your life and leave you reeling in uncertainty and needing to find a new balance.

Pause and Question

What would cause you to slow down?

What if a forced slowdown was giving you space you could benefit from?

It's worthwhile to pause once a month or quarter and assess all that you are doing and being and noticing the stress and pressure.

Are the pressures you are experiencing self-imposed? You may be surprised to learn how much stress comes from our own internal assumed expectations of ourselves or others.

Are they making up for something? If life slowed down, did some chaos ensue to fill the gap? Ever notice how drama seems to follow some people?

Some Suggestions

Review your last week and consider how often you felt relaxed. When I say relaxed, it means not having a phone or some technology at your fingertips. Try putting your phone away if you can't think of a time. Read an actual book, talk to a friend or family member and be present, or go for a walk and leave your phone at home.

Reflect and analyze what is driving you each day. To what purpose is this? Are the activities you are pursuing in line with moving the needle in terms of an end goal? If you are the breadwinner for the family, it's easy to excuse time working. After all, bringing home the bacon is what keeps the bills paid. Any habit that is done to excess has a cost. If you spend your whole life working to excess you may find there isn't a family there one day.

Take a vacation for longer than a week. It takes one week for the mind and body to start to relax. Take a few extra days to reap the benefits of some quality downtime.

Build in time each week for some vigorous exercise. There is nothing quite like the feeling of a workout that gets the heart rate up and breaks up some of that lingering cortisol that has been fueling you around the clock.

I'd love to know what came up for you as you think about the role of stress and pressure in your life. Is it real or masking an addiction?

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I bridge ?? the gap between stress and performance from the inside out for workplaces ready to tap into their biggest resource - their people.

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