Signs: Stress and Anxiety- I was actually sick.

Many new cars have auto assist. It was a litttle hard for me to get used to, when I bought a new car last year. Every time you move slightly left or right veering out of the lane, the steering wheel pulls you back. I felt my heart start to race when I felt that tug of the wheel. I wanted to tell the car that I know what I'm doing!

Feeling stress in your life, is a lot like auto assist. Without action, it can have detremental effects, but it does have an upside. A normal repsonse to stress comes when you have an event, like the car veering off the road, and a surge of the hormones adenaline and cortisol. Once you are back on the road, these levels retrun to normal. According to https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037, if you stay in this heightened space, called the "fight or flight" mode, this can lead to many health problems. From headaches, gastrointestinal issues, heart disease, sleep problems, memory issues, anxiety and depression.

Some of us are more prone to a heightened reaction to stress. Which puts us more at risk. But all of us have an opportunity to reframe it, and listen to the signs it is giving us. There are large and small examples of this. If you are stressed out about money, because you can't pay your bills. This is a legitimate concern. But have you taken the time to plan the steps needed to get into a better financial postion? The stress will not ease until you make the plan.

You may feel stress at work every day and brush it off as necessary. But if you listen to your inner voice, it may be telling you this job is not suitable for you. It may also be a sign that you are not doing what you were meant to do. You may become physically ill from staying in this environment. It will take courage to act on your stress in a constructive way.

Another example is arguing with your kids or a spouse/ partner. In the moment, you may blame them for creating the stress because they are not listening to you, but something is out of balance. A need is not being met, either your needs or theirs, or both.

Even though it is an uncomfortable feeling, if you stop and listen when you feel stressed, you have an opportunity. 13th Century Persian poet Rumi said it best. " These pains you feel are messengers, listen to them" Warning, you are going off course, like the tension of auto assist. When you learn to tap into yourself and listen, it is much easier to ride the waves of life and not stay in the heightened state that is so unhealthy for us.

It takes practice to become an observer of yourself. But when you do, you will start to notice many opportunities to make a decision that will positively impact yourself and those you care about.

Now when I feel tension rising or I am going through a stressful time, I know that something important is going to happen. I have a big decision to make. Or, I have a small decision to make in a single moment, that will have a ripple affect. Every moment counts.