Managing a golf club is full of frustrations, deadlines, and demands.
For many managers, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. Stress is not always bad and stress within your comfort zone can help you perform, motivate you and even keep you safe when danger looms. But when stress becomes overwhelming, it can damage your health, mood, relationships, and quality of life.
You can protect yourself by understanding how the body’s stress response works, recognizing the signs and symptoms of stress overload, and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects.
Some of the common warning signs and symptoms of stress are listed below. The more signs and symptoms you notice in yourself, the more overwhelmed you are likely to be.
Common signals of stress can show as:
- Memory problems
- Inability to concentrate
- Poor judgment
- Seeing only the negative
- Anxious or racing thoughts
- Constant worrying
This can lead to:
- Moodiness
- Irritability or short temper
- Agitation, the inability to relax
- Feeling overwhelmed
- A sense of loneliness and isolation
- Depression or general unhappiness
Which may result in:
- Aches and pains
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Nausea, dizziness
- Chest pain, rapid heartbeat
- Loss of sex drive
- Frequent colds
Causing you to:
- Eat more or less
- Sleep too much or too little
- Isolate yourself from others
- Procrastinate or neglect your responsibilities
- Use alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
- Develop nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)
While unchecked stress is undeniably damaging, you have more control than you might think. Unfortunately, many people cope with stress in ways that only compound the problem. They drink too much to unwind at the end of a stressful day, fill up on comfort food, zone out in front of the TV or computer for hours, use pills to relax, or lash out at other people. However, there are many healthier ways to cope with stress and its symptoms and there is a wealth of advice available on the subject.
The following links from the NHS, HSE, Mind and Rehab 4 Addiction are full of useful information.
By GCMA
