5 Tiny Signs You're Not Taking Good Emotional Care Of Yourself

The calendar fills, gaps in the schedule grow tighter, obligations begin to overwhelm, and you are on a one-way journey to a burnout breakdown from too much of everything all of the time. The signs of not caring for your emotional well-being can appear insignificant until you are already heading down an unhealthy path.

RELATED: The Actual, True End Goal Of Self-Care, According To Experts

Here are 5 tiny signs you're not taking good emotional care of yourself:

1. You prioritize everyone else's needs above your own

Whether you're a mom, take care of people at home or in your professional life, or struggle with self-esteem issues, you might prioritize everyone else's needs above your own. Everyone needs "me-time" to relax and nurture their inner spirit. Humans are emotional creatures. Simple pleasures — hobbies, a long bath, reading a book, sitting outside — lower our emotional stress. So stop neglecting your inner life and learn to make room for small escapes into joyful pursuits.

— Dr. Gloria Brame, Ph.D., Therapist

2. Little things cause big stress.

A small sign that you might not be taking good emotional care of yourself is reacting strongly to minor stressors or situations that wouldn't typically bother you. For example, getting triggered by an email or feeling disproportionately upset over a minor inconvenience could signal that your emotional well-being needs attention. Strategies such as practicing mindfulness, writing in a gratitude journal, exercising, finding an outlet for your stress, or talking to a trusted friend or professional could help you to feel calmer, manage your emotions, and respond rather than react to stressors. By incorporating these practices into your routine, you can better support your emotional health and build resilience in the face of challenges – big or small.

— Lisa Petsinis, Career and Life Coach, ACC

RELATED: How To Find A Job That Actually Makes Your Life Better

3. Your friends and loved ones are pulling away from you

You haven't seen your friends in weeks, and your family won't return your calls.

— Lianne Avila, MA, MFT - Expert, Counselor/Therapist

RELATED: 7 Little Behaviors Very Common In The Most Healthy Women

4. You can’t remember the last time you treated yourself to anything

All you do is work, come home, and repeat.

— Lianne Avila, MA, MFT - Expert, Counselor/Therapist

5. Adrenal fatigue

Adrenal fatigue is like a dark cloud that hangs over you each day and night of life. You struggle to get out of bed in the morning. You barely remember showering or dressing for work. You might get some energy around 9:00 am and begin to feel half-human again, but by 3:00 pm, you are ready for a nap. You turn to caffeine and sugar as a way to feed your energy. However, if you were to stop for a moment to quiet your mind and turn your imagination toward your inner self, what you feel might indicate a weeping willow tree dropping dew to the ground with each step you take.

— Susan Dykes, CST - Expert, Spiritual Coach

RELATED: 4 Crucial Lessons That Helped Me Accept Myself As A Queer Woman

6. Disrupted sleep

When people are feeling the least bit stressed, it is common for their sleep to reflect any tension in their waking lives. Perhaps they may dream more vividly, not at all, or wake up more frequently. Sometimes a person can wake up early in the morning and have difficulty falling asleep. When this occurs more than two nights in a row, it's worth looking into what may be irritating or concerning you. During the day, you may be busy so these annoyances or worries are cloaked by activity. So, they emerge when your body slows down to rest. Taking some time during the day to pause, take a walk, or quietly drink a cup of coffee for even ten minutes might help restore a sense of ease and balance.

— Sharon Saline, Psy.D. Clinical Psychologist, Author, Speaker, Consultant

RELATED: How To Get An Accurate Diagnosis For A Child Who May Have ADHD

Photo: Hector Roqueta via Shutterstock

Emotional self-care can be like an extreme sport or preparing for running a marathon. You need downtime to let your body rebuild better. Emotional well-being depends on making the time to relax, reset, and recharge. Otherwise, you end up feeling depleted and injured. Over time, the tiny impacts on the nervous system from unattended emotional self-care can add up until unmanaged stress impacts how your physical body functions. Remember, stress is not negative. How you handle the stress can be.

One of the best ways to healthily manage stress is to make emotional well-being a routine.

Will Curtis is a writer and editor for YourTango. He's been featured on the Good Men Project and taught English abroad for ten years.