Stepcase Lifehack: Each individual has a unique tolerance level for how much physical and emotional stress they can endure before something starts to give. Far too often people ignore the warning signs that their stress levels are becoming unmanageable and it takes a crisis of some kind to get them to change.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
How to Avoid Burn Out: 10 Symptoms of Severe Stress
Stepcase Lifehack: Each individual has a unique tolerance level for how much physical and emotional stress they can endure before something starts to give. Far too often people ignore the warning signs that their stress levels are becoming unmanageable and it takes a crisis of some kind to get them to change.
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This is the perfect point in the semester to be watching out for the warning signs of stress. It's so important for all of us to deal with our stress in a good way rather than letting it really get to us. I just wish that this article had some tips about how to better handle stress rather than just the warning signs that you might be stressed, although it is definitely important to recognize that you are stressed in order to deal with said stress.
A lot of these are factors that can easily contribute to stress or be a symptom thereof. I hope for my sake that having a lot of these doesn't necessarily mean that I am stressed. I don't feel stressed but after reading the list I have experienced probably 8 of the 10 symptoms. At least I am still smiling and laughing, I'll be concerned if that goes away. I feel like I am handling my semester well so far and I don't feel stressed but perhaps there is this bubble of stress brooding under the surface and I should be careful of that and start working on alleviating some of this symptoms.
I too can easily state that a good seven or eight of these warning signs, I've noticed within my daily life. I think that all these symptoms are important to take note of- especially the loss of humor. Although I have found myself immensely stressed at the start of this new college experience- at least my humor has never faded, because even in the darkest of times I know that even if I don't find anything funny, or no one finds my jokes humorous- I can always make myself laugh, someway somehow. When we can no longer step back, re-evaluate a beyond repair- overall terrible situation and just giggle- we have lost a sweet little quality that somehow seems to calm the pain, or even enough so to help us push through without being distracted about how worse-off we are.
I'm glad that this article includes an anecdote as a warning on how too much stress can not only cause personal harm, but also harm to those around us. This is something we frequently forget while saying we can handle stress and don't mind it. It's good that these symptoms are listed here; often times we don't realize that things like memory can be affected when we are too stressed out. Personally, I have felt like I have not been very stressed out from this very busy semester, but when looking at this list, I will have to reconsider, since I am experiencing a few of these symptoms...
Like most people who have commented so far, I've experienced 7 or 8 of these symptoms at times. I absolutely agree that these symptoms are warning signs that you are stretching yourself too far and too thin for an extended period of time, and I think that is is important for students, whether undergrad or grad, to be able to recognize these signs of stress and learn to manage them. On the other hand, I do not think that it is possible to alleviate stress from student life. Our lives as students center around due dates and deadlines and a huge workload, and stress is a part of that when you have so much to do. Furthermore, I would argue that a certain amount of stress could be a good thing. I tend to work better and be more productive when I'm under a lot of pressure and I have a lot of things going on, and the stress of knowing I have something due the next day helps me focus. So while I think that exhibiting all of these symptoms is an indication of intense stress that needs to be dealt with because it is unhealthy, I also think that we as students need to learn to live with in as healthy a way as possible.
This list is a great way to concisely point out stress indicators that many of us choose to ignore. However, I wonder if perhaps the symptoms of this list may be a little bit too vague to really be helpful. Like Jackson says, many of us may not feel stress, but have experienced many of the symptoms listed here. Of course, the article does clearly say that this list is certainly a jumping-off point, and will hopefully help people to better identify their own personal stressor indicators.
This article doesn't tell me at all how to "avoid burning out". It's simply letting me know how to recognize that I AM burning out. I think that the question is not IF you aren't burning, because when you are... what do you do? Stop? Quit? Take a vacation? In School of Drama I think it would improve the well-being of the students if we were allowed to address our stress. If I recognize that I'm burning out and I need a day off- like in the real world yuo'd call in sick- they don't really allow that here. You need a note form the doctor or a prearranged absence with a good reason. Some classes allow 2-4 days off, unexcused. But right now I don't have any classes that allow unexcused days off. I would need a doctor's note. No Absences policy is one way to ensure that everyone burns out, gets sick, and shows up to class to get EVERYONE sick because when they feel themselves burning out they don't stay home.
Not good.
Stress is not something that can be quit or gotten rid of. And stress is not necessarily a bad thing. It can also be a good motivator as long as it is managed correctly.
However, if you are indeed at the point described in this article, you have too much on your plate. But sometimes getting rid of stress can be just as stressful as just dealing with it. Sometimes even more.
I feel like I just got past the most stressful time here so far. I was sick, on double run crew, and had two huge design projects, one of which I was behind on. All of these things combined to make an endless cycle of stress. I'd try to work on homework that I'd been unable to do, then get even sicker because I was staying up late. When I took care of my health and slept, I got further behind on my homework, more stressed out, and in turn, even sicker.
I finally got better and this weekend Good Person closed. Being able to push through the stress, compelte my assignments, and get back on track felt amazing. It's given me the drive to keep going through mid-semester, mid-terms, and next semester. It also helped me to, once again, evaluate how I structure my time and re-organize my work schedule.
Though that much stress was almost debilitating, I'm glad I got it over with this early in the semester. I feel even more prepared for the rest of my classes.
I was really hoping that this article would have some good tips to help with burn out, not just warning signs. I think most of these signs are really pretty obvious and like everyone else I have most of them. I think what really matters is establishing what is normal for you in times of contentment and seeing if their is any drastic change. For me I know when I'm reaching the breaking point when I feel my natural inclination to laughter and happiness start to become a facade to convince everyone else nothing is wrong. I withdraw, don't talk to people as much and avoid social situations. Things that were fun feel like chores. When that starts to happen I know I need a change or a good cry. As I said I was hoping this article would have some suggestions for what to to do at those moments, but I was disappointed.
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