This is an area which I have been struggling with. If I catch stress early I usually deal with it well and can defuse it. In the midst of chaos, I tend to ignore my early warning signs of stress and then when I finally do realize I’m stressed out I have to do a lot of damage control/recovery to do. The following questions help me identify if I am stressed:
- Do you have muscle tension (especially in your neck & shoulders)?
- How’s your stomach? (my bowels are a great indicator of how I’m doing=)
- Are you sleeping through the night? Are you having any bad dreams?
- What’s annoying you? (if it’s all the little things I need to withdraw)
- What are you reading? (if I’m not reading, then things are not ok)
- Am I exercising on a regular basis?
- Am I eating healthy?
- Am I honoring myself? This last question is key. This refers to knowing myself and acknowledging my personality, preferences, gifts, limitations, areas of vulnerability, areas of health and victory? If I’m honoring myself then I should be doing pretty well. If I’m not, then something is going to be off and I’m going to be out of balance.
If you want to encourage me on this journey, use these questions to keep me accountable to healthy cross-cultural living principles. Another key component of managing stress is resting. It would also be appropriate to ask me when was the last time I took the day off or went on a weekend get away. If I don’t rest on a regular basis I won’t be able to manage my stress through. If I don’t manage my stress I increase my possibility of health related issues and coming home prematurely.
