Stress symptoms do not always present as you might think. We all have our own weak spots when stressed whether it is muscle tension, increased emotionalism, sleep or food issues.However there are more subtle stress symptoms that are important to recognize in yourself or in others.
As the holidays approach and the whirl of preparation begins, it is easy to become stressed and worn out.We may have already been experiencing stress symptoms and now are challenged even more. It is important to watch where you are on the stress spectrum so you can respond appropriately.
Stress Symptoms: What Does Apathy Mean?
Apathy can be a sign that we are arriving at the end stage of untreated stress…burn out. In fact some of us may be moving in that direction as a result of the stress of our current societal conditions never mind the holidays! No matter the cause it is most helpful to expand our self awareness and take charge where we can.
Apathy can be experienced at different levels. You can experience apathy as an individual or as part of a group. As an individual, you may feel great about certain parts of your life and experience apathy in particular areas, such as your job, your relationships or even your health. You could even live your entire life in a state of apathy, a state of little emotion and not caring …just going through the motions.
Group Apathy and Stress Symptoms
The group might be your family, your work environment and colleagues, your community, and the list could go on. How often do we hear about “voter apathy the community not really caring about the issues at hand? Have you ever experienced apathy about any issue within your family? Perhaps you’ve seen it or felt it within your work group, your town or community. When there is apathy, there is little movement and little emotion.
Stress Symptoms, Burn Out and Treatment
It is important to identify the cause of apathy for positive resolution. Burn out is a prime source of apathetic feelings. Our physical vitality takes a beating trying to keep up with the demands of our lives. Eventually our inner reserves are not there to help us bounce back or keep on keepin’ on. We get so used to abusing ourselves that we do not stop to consider that our well may run dry.
Hints previous to a complete depletion of physical vitality.
Our minds are not as sharp; we cannot remember as easily, we become confused more.
We notice signs that we are stressed and tired.
Emotionally we may become more constricted, flat or have a harder time balancing and managing feelings. Some describe a sense of emotional bankruptcy: no emotion, interest, passion or joy.
So apathy can be a result of the stresses and strains of being human. Or a deeper cause can be at the source of this poisonous type of indifference. For the former a well thought out stress management program is the remedy. For the latter a deeper dive into our spiritual nature and learning how to attune to it is the solution.
Our next post will focus on the spiritual solutions to apathy and burn out. In the meantime there are many posts here that speak to stress and stress management. They can be accessed in the archive by clicking in the category box and searching the headings: stress, stress management and self care.
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