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Stress - How much does it cost you?

Have you ever considered counting the cost of how you handle the stress in your life?

If not, then this article may motivate you to seriously consider how much money you spend on trying to handle the stress in your life...........

We all need a small level of stress in our lives in order to motivate us. However, when you find yourself under too much pressure, or in an extremely difficult situation, which you are finding difficult to cope with, then what does it cost you, in terms of :-

Your health and wellbeing
Your state of mind
Your relationships
Your bank balance

Let us start with your health and wellbeing:

Too much stress can lead to high blood pressure, the onset of type 2 diabetes, migraines, muscular pain and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). The question I would ask you, is, at what stage in your process of suffering do you start to address the problem? Do you actually acknowledge that it is the amount of stress in your life that is causing the problem? If so, what steps are you prepared to take in order to do something about it?

Most men, for instance, tend to kid themselves that they can deal with it and they don't need to visit their GP because that would be too much of an inconvenience. On the other hand, those that do take the time to get themselves checked out, then resolve to popping pills and before they know it, they are taking regular medication, which over a period of time, as the stress continues to build up, leads to increased dosages. In both men and women, there is a tendency to address the problem in other areas, such as starting an exercise programme or losing weight, but pretty soon their good intentions go by the wayside.

Your state of mind:-

When you are stressed out most of the time, there is a tendency to develop a negative attitude to life, you feel tired and lethargic and no matter how much you try to catch up on sleep, you never seem to feel any better. For some people, it maybe difficult to even get a good night's sleep, which can lead to sufferers developing sleep apnoea. The reason for this is because when you are in a 'negative mindset' you always tend to be pessimistic, your energy diminishes and life becomes an uphill struggle. Not only that, you seem to attract negative situations towards you - for example, you may find yourself having to deal with 'difficult' people, most of the time, or nothing seems to go right. Being in this state of mind leads to depression, anxiety and panic attacks. Does this sound familiar?

Your relationships:

Stress has an adverse affect on relationships. When you are constantly worried, or trying to deal with all the pressures in your life or your job, it can place an enormous strain on your relationship. For instance, by the time you get home from work, all you want to do is have your dinner, crash on the sofa and watch t.v. or sink a few beers or a bottle of wine. Communication breaks down and your sex life suffers, because you are always too tired to make love. Loneliness can also lead to problems in relationships, particularly, if one partner is always working long hours or irregular shift patterns. Sadly, for some couples things have to reach crisis point before they do anything about it, or their partner walks out on them and before they know it, they are heading for the divorce courts.

Your bank balance:

How often do you feel the need for retail therapy?
How much do you spend on clothes, jewellry, make-up or shoes?
If you find you are drinking every evening, after work, how much money are you spending on alcohol every week?
If you smoke, how much is your habit costing you?
How much do you spend on beauty treatments in order to boost your self esteem?
If you 'comfort eat' when you are stressed out, how much is this habit costing you in terms of your looks, your weight and your shopping bill?

I am sure some of you will have seen t.v. programmes like 'Spendaholics', which highlight how easy it is for people, who have confidence issues, to get into debt? Sometimes, the issues involved can be very deep rooted and may relate to problems experienced in childhood. However, such behaviour only leads to perpetual misery, especially when the person suddenly realises that their spending is getting out of control and they can no longer meet their 'final demand' bills.

For some people people, who find it hard to face up to their problems, spending money on luxury items, in order to fill an empty void, seems so much easier than getting professional help or taking positive action. Yet, the burden of guilt that comes with such a negative habit, only leads to a rapid deterioration of optimum health.

Unfortunately, there is still a stigma attached to counselling, as I have sometimes heard troubled people say, "who me, I don't need counselling, I just need a new man in my life"! Yeah, right, like a new man is going to solve all your problems!

So, could I ask you to consider the following questions:-

When you have worked out how much leading a stressful life is costing you, how soon do you intend to address it?"
What needs to happen before you finally decide to take responsibility for your problem?

Please do not wait until you are on the verge of a nervous breakdown!

If you are prepared to take some action and deal with what is causing the stress in your life, then the rewards can be immense. You only have to read some of the testimonials on my website to see how some of my clients have benefitted from life coaching. However, coaching may not be the answer if some of your issues are deep rooted. Therefore, if you require any further information or help in determining whether it is counselling or coaching you may seek, then contact me and I will be happy to discuss your needs.

Jayne Briggs MBACP

BSc (Hons)

Lifesolutions Lifecoaching