How to Know that you Need Some Alone Time

Everyone is more stressed these days, as we seem to have more to do within a limited time. People spend less time resting as a result. So they tend to eat more, sleep less, skip the gym, and often feel exhausted. In such moments, the body gives warning signs that you`re pushing yourself too much. Stress comes with various indicators that can help one avoid a breakdown. Do you recognize the signs? What do you do in response? These are five ways to know that your mind and body are asking you to spend some time alone.

5 Signs you Need Some Time to yourself

Nothing Sounds Fun Anymore

This is one of the earliest indicators that you need some time to yourself. You may find that you are complaining about being bored and you lose interest in creative projects you usually would have looked forward to doing. When you feel that way, shut down and spend some time alone. What you do when you are alone depends on you, really. Some people may just need to visit a library to recharge, while others may need to spend some time at  the beach. Find what works for you and get on it.

Being Overwhelmed by Little things

Stop and see if you`re due for self-care whenever you notice that little things get to you. Feeling overwhelmed so easily is usually a sign that one has so much on their plate and needs to take a break.

Snapping at Loved Ones

It may be the noise your child is making, a simple question your spouse asked, or a chat from a friend. Be mindful of those moments you snap at people for the minutest of reasons. It may be a sign that you`re due for some alone time.

The Desire to Hide in a Closet

Do you sometimes feel like sneaking into the bathroom to just get a few moments of quiet, perhaps just as a way to separate yourself from family? That may just be your body telling you that you need more alone time — and no, the time you spend in the bathroom is not enough. Schedule some time to be away already. It could be a holiday, a break, whatever works.

Knowing the signs will help you take action early. Look out for these signs and don`t ignore them when they come. Take care of yourself and constantly implement various self-care practices. It may be a hot bath, reading a book, or going on a walk.

Emotional Eating

When you suddenly crave all the snacks in the house, check properly, it just may be an expression of what`s going on within. Instead of seeking an escape through your taste buds, take proper care of yourself to sort out whatever you`re going through. You probably need some quiet time.

What to Know About Stress

Learning more about stress will help you deal with it better. Let`s discuss a few ways stress affects the body and mind.

Stress is a Hormonal Response from the Body

This response begins from a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus sends signals throughout your nervous system and to your kidneys when you`re stressed. The kidneys will, in turn, release some stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.

Stress Can Affect your Muscular System

When you`re stressed, your muscles tense up to protect themselves from injury. They release again once you relax, however, if you’re constantly under stress, your muscles may not get the chance to relax. Constantly tight muscles may cause headaches, body aches, as well as back and shoulder pain.

Women Are More Vulnerable to Stress than Men

Women are more likely to be physically stressed when compared to their male counterparts. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to try to escape from the stress and not exhibit any signs.

Stress Can Overburden your Mind with Constant Worries

Stress can get your mind flooded with thoughts about your daily to-do list and the future. Stress can also make it difficult for you to focus on one thing at a time.

Stress Can Make you Feel Jittery

Stress can make your fingers shake and make your body feel off-balance. It could also make you feel jittery, owing to the surge in adrenaline.

Stress Can Make you Feel Hot

When you’re stressed, your blood pressure will likely rise, and as a result, you may feel hot.

Stress May Cause Digestive Digestive Problems

Stress can cause stomach upset, diarrhea, and excessive urination.

Stress Can Cause Irritability and Anger

When stress accumulates, it can make you irritable and angry, and as a result, affect the way you relate with people.

Stress Can Cause Sadness

Stress can affect your overall outlook on life and cause you to have constant feelings of sadness and even guilt.

How to Use Meditation to Deal with Stress

Did you know that you can use meditation to combat stress? Meditation is a range of age-long activities that help the body and the mind to fight stress, sadness, nervousness, sleep deprivation, and similar challenges. With just a few minutes of daily practice, you can master your body and mind and protect them from the harmful effects of stress. Meditation particularly relaxes the nerves and soothes a tensed mind. There are various ways to meditate. Some people focus their attention on a word, a phrase, or their breathing to induce relaxation. Here are some helpful meditation tips which you can leverage to combat stress better and achieve other things:

• In addition to medication, you can use relaxation therapy to combat chronic pain.
• You can use meditation to enhance empathy and build social connections.
• Meditation has relieved lower back pain more than numerous over-the-counter prescription medications.
• You can deal with anxiety better by meditating regularly. Studies show that 60% of people living with anxiety showed some improvement after 6-9 months of meditation.
• You can use meditation to increase resilience and mental endurance.
• Although meditation is beneficial to people of all ages and genders, women have shown more signs of self-compassion and mindfulness after consistent sessions of meditation.
• Meditation enhances innovation and creativity.
• Yoga particularly brings about resilience and improved mitochondrial energy production.
• Meditation is great for immune health.
• The brains of longtime meditators show fewer signs of aging than those of their non-meditating counterparts.
• Meditation can help you curb impulse shopping.
• Mindful meditation can help you stop smoking.
• Transcendental meditation releases prolactin, a soothing hormone that causes some chemical changes in the brain.

Some Shocking Statistics on Stress

• Stress and anxiety are some of the most common experiences that people have.
• 70% of adults in the United States say they feel stress or anxiety daily.
• Stress is a top health concern for U.S. teens between 9th and 12th grade.
• 80% of workers feel stress on the job and about half say they need help in learning how to manage stress.
• About 90% of adult Australians feel stress in at least one key area of their lives.
• Australian employees are absent for an average of 3.2 working days each year as a result of stress.
• Depression is among the leading causes of disability worldwide.
• Workplace stress costs the Australian economy approximately $14.2 billion.
• Approximately 13.7 million working days are lost each year in the UK as a result of work-related illness. This costs the economy of £28.3 billion annually.