THE STRESS CYCLE

Unfortunately, no one is immune to stress and continual daily stress can build up to a cycle of stress that can lead to chronic stress.

You wake up in the morning, tired from going to bed too late. You hit the snooze button but then oversleep; now you are late for work.

Stress Rises.

You rush to get ready.

Stress Rises.

You are stuck in traffic on the way to work.

Stress Rises.

You open your computer, a mount of emails. You look at what needs to get done today and realize it won’t happen.

Stress Rises.

You put out fires throughout the day, taking time away from the things you need to get done, which you know just adds to your workload tomorrow.

Stress Rises.

The day finishes and you go home but you need to pick up food for your family. You go to the grocery store and remember it’s 6:00pm and everyone else is getting food too.

Stress Rises.

As you rush home, your spouse calls and tells you they need to work late, leaving you to take care of the kids alone.

Stress Rises.

You prepare food, help your children with their homework, and get them ready for bed.

Stress Rises.

Finally, you have a minute to yourself. Time to relax and unwind? Nope, you forgot that you have nothing clean to wear tomorrow and need to do laundry. Oh and what’s that? Someone spilled chocolate milk on the sofa but didn’t tell you…

Stress Rises.

Finally, exhausted you fall into bed but can’t sleep because you are thinking about the mountain of work confronting you tomorrow.

Stress Rises.

You wake up and the cycle repeats… Day after day, this causes chronic stress.