Are the years flying by and the days melding into one long list of to-dos, to-gos and to-buys? Have low-key feelings of guilt and anxiety become your constant companions? It is never easy to take certain things off of your plate, but you might be doing too much! Here are some warning signs you should no longer ignore; they’re telling you that you need to have some fun!
You no longer ever feel relaxed
Even when you schedule in some downtime, your mind is racing. It’s hard to focus on a conversation and often, you’re not truly listening. It is tough to stay present when there is so much to stay on top of.
Recuperating is tough
You seem to be getting sick frequently. You’re usually the first one in the family to come down with a cold and the last one to recover. Your immunity can be compromised with stress, exhaustion and a lack of sleep.
Outbursts
You find yourself snapping more often—you used to have more patience. Or, on the flip side, things you could previously laugh off now hurt your feelings more deeply. When we feel overwhelmed, it is harder to modulate our emotional cues and responses.
Sudden body changes
Your weight has started to fluctuate, due to stress eating or (the opposite) missing meals. You have new body aches, like lower back pains from working too long in the same position or standing too many hours. You experience muscle loss because you don’t have time for exercise.
You’re too busy for everyone else
You start hearing people say, “Oh you’re probably too busy for this or that.” Your friends have stopped calling you to catch up or to confide in you when they are going through a tough time. They realize that you have enough on your plate.
Work is suffering
You notice that—more often than not—you’re dropping the ball on projects, missing an important detail or are making several mistakes. It’s not that you became incompetent overnight, you’re just mentally tired from functioning overtime!
There’s no better compass than our own body. If any of these warnings sound familiar, it may be time to take what you can off of your plate so you can start to have some fun again!
