Many people love to throw themselves into their work but it can also be important for them to recognise any potential warning signs. They may get headaches, forget appointments, neglect their family, feel exhausted or have other symptoms.
Recognising
The Warning Signs
Different people get different warning signs. One person explained their symptoms in the following way.
“Every Friday night I got a splitting headache in my left temple. Despite working hard during the week – and feeling tired – I only get the headache when driving home on Friday.
“Visiting an osteopath to deal with another problem, I asked about the headaches. She found a tight nerve in my right shoulder, which was where the pressure was located.
“She taught me how to massage the muscle, which eased the stress, but also taught me to recognise the symptoms earlier.
“I have always been duty driven. Sometimes it feels like I am responsible for taking care of my family, my team and my mother.
“Without getting into fluffy territory, I decided to take some time for myself and not carry the world on my shoulders.
“That meant saying ‘Yes,’ to some things and ‘No’ to others. Now I have been free from headaches for the past 2 years.”
Do you ever get warning signs? These can take different forms. Here are some things that people have mentioned regarding such signs.
“I lose my temper for no apparent reason. This can lead to me lashing out and hurting my loved ones.”
“Sometimes I feel empty, lack purpose and begin to drift. This is unlike me, because I am usually extremely decisive.”
“I take on too much, feel tired and forget things. I once double-booked myself for two important meetings that could have a great effect on my future. I managed to salvage the situation but it was real warning.”
Looking at your own life, what are the warning signs you may get? How do you try to take heed of the warning signs? What happens if you do not take heed of these signs?
Understanding The Reasons
For The Warning Signs
What may be the reasons for any warning signs? You may feel out of control, have little time to rest, be in an unsatisfying job, be surrounded by negative people or need a new sense of purpose.
The reasons can be physical, psychological or a mixture of both. Sometimes the reasons may be deep seated, sometimes they can be more obvious. Let’s look at one example of the latter.
A footballer had a good disciplinary record but then he got himself sent off twice in a month. Nobody could understand why. He was always the first to training, the last to leave and would do anything for the team.
The answer lay in front of our eyes. Over the past month he had been asked to play out of position and felt extremely uncomfortable. He explained this in the following way.
“My head is in a whirl because I strain to remember the manager’s instructions. That isn’t the case when I’m playing in my natural position, because then I don’t have to think and I enjoy the game.
“Now I get confused trying to remember the instructions. This leads to me making mistakes, getting upset sometimes arguing with the referee. I’m counting the games to returning to my best position.”
The player’s problem was quite solvable. Learning a technique for managing his anger, he volunteered to play one more game out of position. Strangely, because he now recognised what upset him, he had a storming game. He was then grateful to return to his natural role on the field.
When do you get warning signs? What may be the reasons? How can you heed these warning signs?
Learning From
The Warning Signs
Imagine that you have had warning signs. Sometimes these can be resolved by making relatively simple adjustments. These may involve eating healthier food, exercising or doing things that give you positive energy.
Sometimes these may call for bigger adjustments. These may involve spending time with positive people rather than negative people, finding a more satisfying job or developing a new sense of purpose.
Sometimes what you learn can lead to shifts in the way you live your life. One person explained this in the following way.
“My wake-up call came after getting prosecuted for speeding twice in five minutes. Suddenly I had six points on my driving licence.
“Now I see the prosecution as a blessing. Previously I had been addicted to speeding on the motorway. Fortunately I had never hurt myself or, worse still, maimed other people.
“The warning sign led to radically changing my working style. Previously I had got up at 5.00 every morning for the two hour drive and returned home at night.
“I decided to go freelance, do project work and mainly work from home. This was long before Covid forced this on many people and it worked. If I needed to be in an office, I travelled up by train the night before.
“This meant I had lots of energy, was on top of my game and did good work. It worked for myself, my customers and my family.”
Let’s return to your own life and work. Looking ahead, what may be the potential warning signs you may get in the future? How can you recognise, understand and learn from any warning signs?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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