What Does it Feel Like When Stress Is in Charge?

Stress is a bit sneaky. It shows up and gradually becomes more difficult a little bit at a time. When you don’t notice the milder aspects of stress and deal with them, it gets bigger and bigger. Eventually, it feels way too big to deal with on your own.

Caregiver in South Fork NY: Stress Tips

Fatigue and Exhaustion

Feeling tired happens every day. You might experience an afternoon energy slump or just a slower day because you didn’t sleep well the night before. But when you’re waking up from a full night of sleep and you’re still exhausted, that’s a big sign. Stress saps a lot of energy from you and affects everything from how well you sleep to how well your body manages energy reserves throughout the day.

Anxiety and Depression

When you’re feeling worried and anxious, there might be a valid reason. Stress-related anxiety, on the other hand, is something that never lets up, even after you’ve verified that the situation is okay. Depression, or feeling overwhelmingly sad most of the time, can coincide with anxiety. As a caregiver, this is a scary duo because you’re not able to see things in the positive light that you need to be able to maintain. Talk to your doctor to see if there are any underlying medical causes.

Out-of-place Anger and Irritability

It’s normal to occasionally feel anger and irritation about situations. Usually, these feelings are justified and expressing how you feel is empowering. When you’re under a great deal of stress, though, you don’t have the same emotional reserves as you did in the past. That leads to experiencing irritability and anger at times that normally wouldn’t elicit those reactions from you. They’re a sign that you’re stressed.

Isolation and Loneliness

As if all of the above weren’t enough on their own, you might feel isolated and alone. Part of that has to do with the fact that caregivers naturally end up in situations that promote both isolation and loneliness because of what they’re doing. Some of it has to do with how you respond to others when you’re under stress. Some of the people you care about may back away, misunderstanding your reactions and misreading them as something other than a stress reaction. Reach out to people who care about you and find people who understand what being a caregiver is about so that you’re not as alone as you have been.

If stress has taken over in your life, you need to make some adjustments now in order to get a handle on it. You absolutely can reduce your stress levels as a caregiver and if you don’t, you might just find that caregiving becomes impossible for you to do.

If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring a Caregiver in South Fork, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at 631-685-5001.