If youíre currently feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and burned out, then you are certainly not alone. This is pretty much the status quo for countless millions of people around the globe.

But that doesnít make it okay! In fact, it makes it even more important that we explore the reasons for this stress and work out ways to stop it.

Here are five reasons why you should not allow stress to be your "normal"

1. It Makes You Unhappy
Not only does stress make you extremely unhappy in the moment kind of by definition, but it can also lead to longer-term issues with your mental health such as depression, anxiety, and mental fatigue. When you feel low, anxious, and depressed, the world will feel as though it has no color. In order to really enjoy the things you're doing, you need to allow yourself to.

2. It Damages Your Immune System
Stress forces the body to redirect blood and oxygen away from the organs and toward the muscles. Your body assumes that if youíre very stressed, you must be in danger. Hence you are more likely to need your biceps than your spleen!
Problem is, that this then means that your immune system stops working as well as it should leaving you open to attacks from harmful bacteria and germs. The result is that youíll get sick more often, the longer you are highly stressed.
In the long term, stress can actually be dangerous and even cause fatal illnesses.

3. It Causes You to Make Mistakes
When you are stressed, you will struggle to focus on the task in hand. Simply, whatever it is youíre worried about is going to seem more important. The more you stress, the more mistakes youíre likely to make and this can lead to all kinds of complications and issues. 
4. It Damages Relationships
Stress can make you short-tempered it can rob you of the energy you need for socializing, and it can result in you being less pleasant to be around. If you donít fix your stress for yourself, think about the impact itís having on your children or other loved ones.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel....stay encouraged.