Do you have Rushing Woman's Syndrome?

Do you have Rushing Woman's Syndrome? The following checklist will help you identify if you have it.

A RUSHING WOMAN:

• Loves coffee to the point that she feels deprived if she cannot get her daily fix and she tells herself that she needs it for energy, to help her brain function, or so she can make her bowels move.
• Answers "so busy'' or "stressed'' when you ask her how she is.

• Has stress hormones, adrenalin and cortisol, pumping through her veins more often than not.
• Has low progesterone.

• Has problems with her periods which might look like polycystic ovarian syndrome, heavy, clotty periods, irregular periods, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or a debilitating menopause.

• Tends to crave sugar, particularly mid-afternoon or close to menstruation.

• Feels overwhelmed often.

• Has poor short-term memory.

• Never feels like there is enough hours in the day.

• Overreacts easily even if she does not display it outwardly and often feels tired but wired.

• May have a thyroid gland that bounces between an underactive tendency and an overactive tendency.

• Could not sit down as she will feel so guilty... unless she is beyond tired... then she will sit but still feels guilty.
• Sleeps very little.
• Sometimes could not sleep restoratively.

• Compromises sleep to get jobs done later at night.

• Is irritable.

• Wants to speed when she drives, whether she needs to or not.
• Has no solitude, no time for self and will tell you that it is selfish or a luxury she could never have.
• Has a to-do list that is never, ever all crossed off and this bothers her.
• Feels a sense of panic easily.
• Often has digestive system problems such as bloating or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

• Does not regularly notice the special moments she is part of... life feels mostly chaotic.
• She laughs less than she used to.
• Has a mental fuzziness, haze or brain fog she only notices is there when she has a random day when it is not.
• Beats herself up for not being a good enough wife, mother or friend.
• Feels anxious without her cellphone on her constantly. She can catch herself constantly pushing the refresh screen button thinking "what if I miss an important text or phone call?'' and takes her phone to the toilet for this reason.
• Goes on holiday only to spend the majority of the time thinking she must unwind yet never actually resting. Holidays simply become an extension of her usual life.
• Tends to return from a break feeling even more exhausted than before she left.
• Takes short and shallow breaths and can often become breathless; may sigh frequently.
• Low appetite or on the contrary, feels as though she could eat her arm off, particularly at night.
• Can tend to blame others for adding to her workload or "stressing her out'' when a lot of the stress comes from her own internal pressures.
• Whilst trying to achieve as much as possible in the day, she can catch herself checking emails in the bathroom, at traffic lights or late at night.
• Goes to guilt as a common emotional pattern.
• Does not usually ask for help.
• Could not say no easily and if she does, she feels guilty.