Pexels photo by energepic.com
Work is often a high-pressure environment, but sometimes it becomes too much to handle. If you’ve been feeling the weight of professional stress lately, your body might signal that it’s time to take a step back. Read on to learn the physical signs that your job is too stressful.
Sleepless Nights and Insomnia
Lying awake at night indicates that something’s eating away at you. Insomnia is a direct result of stress stemming from your job. Constantly having work-related thoughts throws your mind into overdrive, making it difficult to relax and unwind from a busy day. Your waking thoughts continue to pick apart whatever obstacle you anticipate for the next workday and follow you into the hours of the night.
Chronic Fatigue and Lack of Energy
Fatigue is another telltale sign that your job has become too stressful. When you’re under constant pressure, it takes a toll on your body, leaving you tired and drained. Adrenal fatigue is a type of fatigue that comes from the constant production of adrenaline and is a common effect of stress on the body. If you find yourself relying on copious amounts of caffeine to make it through the day, your workload may be becoming unbearable.
Frequent Headaches or Migraines
Stress is notorious for causing tension headaches and migraines. If you notice that you’re experiencing more of these painful disruptions than usual, it could be a clear physical sign that your job is too stressful and your work-life balance is out of whack.
Don’t wait for the headache of the decade to acknowledge that your job is stressing you out. The potential migraine could trigger during a crucial event at your job and leave you incapacitated and unable to perform.
Muscle Aches and Tension
When you feel like you’ve just had a HIIT workout when you get home from work, you’re most likely feeling the effects of stress on your muscles. Your muscles involuntarily tense up as a protective mechanism when stressed.
Chronic stress from your workplace causes your muscles to be in a perpetual state of tension, resulting in aches and pains. If you need to visit a masseuse or take more painkillers than usual, it’s time to check in with yourself and address the root cause.
Ignoring these physical warning signs has long-term consequences on your overall health and productivity. Addressing work stress sooner rather than later improves your well-being, performance, and job satisfaction. Whether talking to your manager about workload adjustment, seeking mental health support, or finding new ways to manage stress, remember that it’s never too late to prioritize your health and happiness.