4. Your phone is an extension of your body.
It’s always in your hand, in your pocket, or by your side. If you lose sight of it, you panic and begin frantically looking for it. You fiddle with it while driving, and you stare at it during movies or at the dinner table. Welcome to the phone addiction club. I realize they are useful tools; many of us rely on them for work and staying connected to our loved ones. But if it’s the first thing you check in the morning and the last thing you look at before sleep—especially if it’s cutting into connection time with your family—it’s a problem that needs to be addressed. When we are on our phones often throughout the day, we feel busier than we actually are because there is no free space to just enjoy the taste of our coffee or watch the sunset.
Try this: Set phone boundaries by creating windows of time throughout the day when you check your emails, social media, etc. When you’re not in your window, put it in your purse, a drawer, or better yet, shut it down completely. When you’re not mindlessly scrolling newsfeeds, you’ll be surprised at how much free time there actually is in a day.
5.Your calendar is jam-packed, and you’re dreading most of it.
Most days, there’s something going on. You’re running your kids to this practice and that recital. You’re volunteering here and there. You’re teaching Sunday School and leading a Cub Scouts den. It’s all very admirable, but you’re just one person, and you can only do so much. Do what you enjoy, but only do your fair share. Often times, we get roped into doing things we dread because our boundaries are soft and we don’t want to disappoint, but when you’re dreading your busy schedule every week, your health and happiness suffer.
Try this: Knock two things off your calendar this month. Just two. Plus make sure there are at least 5 days a month with absolutely nothing scheduled. Those are your rest days and you should have at least one a week.
6.You’re gaining weight around the middle.
Stress floods the body with cortisol, and when you have consistently high cortisol levels, your body not only resists weight loss but actually hoards the fat you eat or have present in your body. It also tends to pile around the abdomen.
Try this: According to a post from Livestrong, you can lower your cortisol levels with B5 and folic acid. Vitamin C helps, too. In addition, aim for 20 minutes per day just to do things you enjoy. Listen to music, read a book, meditate, do yoga, whatever makes you feel calm and content.
7. You catch everything coming and going.
Being overwhelmed, overscheduled, and stressed out weakens your immune system. That same hormone, cortisol, that’s responsible for weight gain is also wreaking havoc on your immune response. If you can’t seem to shake that cold or you just feel generally bad most days, it’s a sign that you need to slow down and take better care of your body and mind.
Try this: Get your heart pumping with cardiovascular exercise to relieve stress quick and get a boost of endorphins. Also, laugh a lot! When you laugh, your nervous system calms down.
