Writing my last blog about the general feeling of overwhelm, which many of us experience, was personal for me. However, I couldn’t pinpoint the source of my overwhelm until I reviewed my year thus far.
Looking back over my diary and journals, I realise that this year provided the necessary insight. I piled on personal projects and family commitments, navigating the transition from having kids at school to virtually living by myself in a new house. Our growing business has become increasingly demanding in a complex environment. In addition, the global investment landscape has been challenging. I travelled with friends and made space for visiting family.
While most of these aren’t poor choices on their own, squeezing all of them into such a short time was stressful. Not allowing more room for adjustment after significant transitions, like as moving, was also unwise. It is no wonder I also faced health challenges.
We cannot fool our internal operating system. It knows when it is being asked to process too much. Eventually, some part of the system will start flashing red lights. In my case, alarmingly high blood pressure was the red light. I’ve never had high blood pressure, and perhaps it’s just genetic - but my doctors all pointed to the potential link with stress.
Of course, I could take the blood pressure medication and forget about it. I could write it off as a sign of my age. However, we blame ageing for too many of our lifestyle choices.
Not all stress is bad. Some level of stress is beneficial – it motivates us to grow and develop. However, most of us operate in overloaded environments where additional sources of stress can be detrimental.
I’ve chosen to make changes to my lifestyle to eliminate some of the sources of stress. Stress is personal – what is difficult for me to manage may not be difficult for you, and vice versa. Many people use stress management tools like drugs by turning to yoga, meditation, or even prayer to numb the pain of overload. While these are all useful tools, they should not replace understanding and potentially eliminating the actual sources of stress. Eventually, they become additional sources of overload.
I’m on a mission to understand the causes and effects of unhealthy stress in my life.
I want to ensure that I am well and fit to earn and work for many years to come. I also want to be healthy enough to enjoy my future dreams. To make this vision a reality, I may have to slow down now - choose where I spend my energy more intentionally. Choose to live with less stress. Choose to move beyond overwhelm.
Ps: I love to hear your comments. If you are not on our mailing list, you can subscribe to receive this blog every week on our website www.foundationsa.com.
Kind regards,
Sunél