According to research by healthplan provider HSA, 45% of working women believe stress will be the greatest impact on workplace health in the future.
As a working mother, life is busy ? perhaps too busy at times. Could you spot the signs that you were getting stressed?
Life coach Glynis Kozma of Apsire Coaching says if you are always rushing around trying to get to work on time while negotiating a couple of mouthfuls of breakfast with your toddler, then leave work to catch the right train to meet the right connection so you?re not hit by a hefty fine at the nursery ? and all in rush hour traffic, just thinking about it can make you feel stressed.
You may be a bit of a supermum and have things working like clockwork ? and good for you! But if you feel like things are about to come crashing down any minute now, you may need to reassess the way you do things.
Here are some questions to ask if you think you may be on the brink of getting stressed at work:
- Are you too tired for sex, almost all the time?
- Do you feel resentful that you have no time to spend on yourself?
- Do you feel guilty that you don?t spend enough time with your children
- Are you irritable at work and feel constantly under pressure?
- Do you snap at your children or partner over the smallest things?
- Do you have problems sleeping, or do you sometimes wake up in the night with work worries?
- Do you overindulge in sweets and crisps in place of healthier food or because you need a quick energy boost?
- Do you have health problems like high blood pressures or IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)?
- Do you get regular headaches or colds?
If you recognise three or four of these, it?s time to take a closer look at your life. Check out the De-stress your life in five easy steps challenge.
Glynis Kozma is a life coach, and founder of Aspire Coaching, www.aspire-coaching.co.uk.