Exactly one week away from the launch of a major online project and the Annual Benefit gala (where the project is being showcased), an email from the executive director came into my mailbox. The subject was “Stress no more…please open” I read the email and took a breath.
I am what I call an adrenaline junkie. A chronic dot-commer addicted to the highs of being in crisis mode. Somewhere along the way, I burnt out. I still get stressed but its at a controlled pace and every once in a while I catch myself falling back into the old patterns of behaviour. People say that I am calm in crisis, that’s what they think…still waters run deep my friends.
Taken from Alexander Kjerulf’s Chief Happiness Officer – Top 5 myths about workplace stress
At least i have gotten good at recognizing the danger signals. I know i am reaching my stress limit when….
1) I have trouble sleeping. My mind works overtime going over all the problems, running in circles.
2) Due to lack of sleep, my eye twitches (this is stress phase 2)
3) When i do sleep, I dream that I am back in college one day before my thesis is due…and yes you guessed it, nothing is done. Even in my dreams, I am thinking…”How did I let myself get into this mess”)
4) I grind my teeth (In my sleep)
5) If its really bad….my bowels misbehave (but we don’t need to go into further details)
When I recognize that I am stressed, here’s what I do.
