Do you think you might be addicted to stress?
Research shows that our brain can become addicted to stress hormones in the same way that our brains become addicted to substances. It even shows that when you are addicted, you need more and more of the same “drug” to satisfy the urge or give you the same “high”, leading to an endless cycle of burnout, emotional self-harm and self-abandonment.
And it’s everywhere! The pressure to perform, to stay busy, to be constantly doing rather than being!
Do you think this could be you? Here are 5 signs that you might be addicted to stress:
do you struggle to relax? and feel almost angry and agitated when there’s nothing to do?
do you check your phone or emails constantly?
do you feel an odd sense of satisfaction when you see your calendar is full and panic a little when there is gaps?
do you tend to secretly feel a bit happy when there is a drama or a crisis?
are you drawn to jobs that require a lot of adrenaline?
THIS COULD BE YOU!
You can even try this SUPER FUN quiz to help you see if you might be addicted to stress!
The bad news is being addicted to stress means your nervous system is in a constant state of overdrive, depleting the adrenals and leading to chronic stress. And chronic stress (as opposed to healthy bouts of stress followed by rest that are good for you) leads to deep feelings of depression, anhedonia, feeling as if there is nothing worth living for, physical health problems by the bucket load, all sorts of burnout and actually makes you feel like nothing is ever good enough. Nothing quite fulfils you, and you always feel the bar is just out of reach. Cementing feelings of worthlessness and endless perfectionist tendencies or workaholism.
The good news is! You can detox and get out of this toxic cycle once you know it’s a problem. By stopping the shame spiral and starting the journey to self-love. To teaching your brain to actually ENJOY stillness and being present rather than the constant drive to achieve and DO something.
