Recognising the Signs and Taking Steps Towards Wellness
Stress is something most busy professionals know well. Deadlines, competing priorities, difficult conversations, long working hours and the pressure to perform can all create periods when life feels particularly demanding.
A certain amount of stress is a normal response to a challenge. In fact, short-term stress can sometimes help us focus, problem-solve and respond to situations that require our attention.
But…when stress stops feeling temporary and begins to affect how we think, feel, behave and function it can become unhelpful and make us unwell.
For busy professionals, this can be particularly difficult to recognise. When you're accustomed to being capable, productive and responsible, you may simply tell yourself that you need to work harder, become more organised or get through the next few weeks.
But sometimes, the problem isn't that you aren't coping well enough. It's that your mind and body have been under pressure for too long.
Stress, anxiety or depression?
Stress, anxiety and depression can overlap, but they aren't quite the same.
Stress is often connected to a particular situation or set of circumstances. You might feel tense because of a demanding project, relationship difficulties, financial concerns or an unusually busy period at work. When the source of the pressure reduces, your stress may gradually settle too.
Anxiety can become more persistent and may continue even when there isn't an obvious immediate threat. You might find yourself constantly anticipating what could go wrong, struggling to switch off, overthinking conversations or decisions, feeling restless or experiencing physical symptoms such as a racing heart, tension or difficulty sleeping.
Depression can involve a persistent low mood, loss of interest or enjoyment, reduced motivation, hopelessness, fatigue and changes in sleep or appetite. Things that would normally bring satisfaction may begin to feel flat or meaningless.
These experiences aren't always neatly separated. Prolonged stress can contribute to anxiety or low mood, and anxiety and depression can occur together.
The important thing is to notice when something has changed.
Signs that stress may be becoming something more
One of the most useful questions to ask yourself is:
"Is this pressure temporary, or has it started to change the way I live my life?"
You might notice that:
- You're finding it increasingly difficult to switch off from work.
- Your thoughts seem to be constantly racing or going over problems.
- You're worrying about things that previously wouldn't have concerned you.
- You're becoming more irritable, impatient or emotionally reactive.
- Your sleep has changed, even when you're exhausted.
- You're feeling tired despite getting enough time in bed.
- You're struggling to concentrate or make decisions.
- You're avoiding people, activities or situations you would normally enjoy.
- You feel as though you're constantly "running on empty".
- Your confidence has dropped or you're becoming increasingly self-critical.
- You feel overwhelmed by relatively small tasks.
- You have started to feel detached, numb, hopeless or as though things won't improve.
None of these signs automatically mean that you have an anxiety disorder or depression. However, they can be useful signals that something needs attention.
Why busy professionals can miss the warning signs
There can be a particular trap for high-performing professionals: functioning isn't necessarily the same as feeling well.
You may still attend meetings, meet deadlines, manage your team and appear completely capable to everyone around you while privately feeling exhausted or overwhelmed.
Perhaps you're telling yourself:
"I'm fine. I'm just busy."
"Things will settle down after this project."
"Everyone else is managing."
"I just need to get myself organised."
Sometimes these thoughts are understandable. But if you've been repeating them for months rather than weeks, it may be time to pause and consider what your mind and body are trying to tell you.
What can you do?
Recognising the signs is the first step towards making change, it does not mean that you've failed or that something is fundamentally wrong with you.
1. Start by noticing rather than judging
Try to become curious about what you're experiencing.
Instead of "Why can't I cope with this?", consider:
"What have I been dealing with, and what impact is it having on me?"
Notice patterns in your mood, thoughts, behaviour, sleep, energy and physical sensations.
Awareness is often the first step towards meaningful change.
2. Look at what is within your control
When you're overwhelmed, everything can feel equally urgent.
Separate situations into things you can influence, things you may be able to influence with support, and things that are outside your control.
This can reduce the mental load created by constantly trying to solve problems that aren't yours to solve.
3. Challenge the pressure you're putting on yourself
Busy professionals can carry a surprising number of unspoken rules:
"I must always be available."
"I should be able to manage this."
"I can't let people down."
"If I make a mistake, people will lose confidence in me."
I’d encourage you to examine these thoughts rather than automatically accepting them as facts.
Ask yourself:
"Would I expect the same standard from someone I cared about?"
Sometimes wellbeing begins with replacing impossible standards with realistic ones.
4. Rebuild the basics
When life becomes demanding, the things that support wellbeing are often the first things to disappear.
Sleep, movement, nutritious food, time outside, meaningful connection and genuine periods of rest aren't indulgences. They provide the foundations from which you manage everything else.
You don't need to overhaul your entire lifestyle.
A walk without your phone. A proper lunch away from your desk. Going to bed slightly earlier. Saying no to one unnecessary commitment. Ten minutes to breathe and reset between responsibilities.
Small changes become significant when they are sustainable.
5. Make space for things that aren't productive
For many professionals, rest can become another task to optimise.
Enjoyment, connection, creativity, laughter and doing something simply because you want to are valuable in their own right.
If your entire life has become about achieving, performing and responding, deliberately making space for activities that have no productive outcome can be surprisingly powerful.
6. Talk to someone
You don't have to work everything out by yourself.
Talking to a trusted friend, colleague, GP or mental health professional can help you gain perspective and recognise patterns that are difficult to see when you're in the middle of them.
If symptoms are persistent, worsening or significantly affecting your work, relationships, sleep or everyday life, it's particularly important to seek professional support.
And if you're experiencing thoughts of harming yourself or feeling that life isn't worth living, seek urgent support rather than trying to manage those feelings alone.
A healthy life will continue to have pressure. There will always be deadlines, difficult decisions, uncertainty and periods when more is required of us.
Developing the awareness and resources to recognise when pressure is becoming too much, respond earlier and giving yourself permission to seek support when you need it is a big step towards a life with balance.
You don't have to wait until you're struggling to take your wellbeing seriously.
If stress has become a constant companion rather than a temporary response to a challenging period, it may be time to pause, take stock and consider what support could help you move forward.
Amanda Hodgson specialises in CBT support for professionals experiencing imposter syndrome, work stress, leadership pressure, and perfectionism.
She offers CBT therapy both online and in person in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne.
If imposter syndrome, perfectionism, or work stress is starting to take its toll, support is available.
To have a free consultation to talk more about how I can help you embrace your accomplishments and break free from imposter syndrome please book here.
You can explore imposter syndrome further with this short, practical CBT-based course that is designed to give you clear simple strategies you can use right away to break the habit of doubting yourself, shrinking in meetings or quietly panicking that someone will "find you out".
