Recognize The Warning Signs And Symptoms Of Too Much Stress
Everyone deals with stress everyday. Learning to recognize the warning
signs associated with too much stress in your life is a great beginning
to bringing the stress levels under control. Specific warning signs or
the symptoms can vary greatly from one person to another, yet there are
some physical symptoms that should be easily recognizable, if you know
what you are looking for.
Symptoms such as low back pain, skin outbreaks, gastrointestinal issues,
and an increase of muscle tension and headaches are some of those most
frequent issues that push a person to make an appointment with the
doctor. For other people it is the emotional symptoms that get their
attention (or the attention of others around them) faster.
Uncontrollable crying fits, being overly sensitive to those around you,
and drastic changes in your behaviour or thinking patterns, all are
indications that there is a high probability that your stress levels are
out of control.
The following is a list of “red flags” that may help you understand some
of the more common warning signs to watch out for.
|
Physical Symptoms |
Emotional Symptoms |
|
Headaches or
Backaches |
Feeling
Overwhelmed |
|
Muscle Tension
and Stiffness |
Feeling Tense
or on edge |
|
Insomnia |
Restlessness |
|
Chest Pain,
Rapid Heartbeat |
Short Temper |
|
Nausea,
Dizziness |
Inability to
relax |
|
Changes in
Weight (up or down) |
Irritability
or impatience |
|
Bowel Changes
|
Extreme
Moodiness |
|
Changes in
Skin (breakouts/hives) |
Being easily
agitated |
|
Loss of Sex
Drive |
Depression or
feeling sad a lot |
|
Frequent Colds |
Sense of
loneliness & isolation |
|
|
|
|
Cognitive Symptoms |
Behavioural Symptoms |
|
Loss of
objectivity |
Changes in
eating habits |
|
Inability to
concentrate |
Changes in
sleeping habits |
|
Indecisiveness |
Procrastination, neglecting things |
|
Fearful
anticipation or feeling afraid of things that you never feared before |
Using or
increase use of alcohol, drugs or prescribed medications |
|
Poor judgment |
Isolating
yourself from others |
|
Increased
Anxiety |
Nervous habits
(pacing, biting nails) |
|
Difficulty
thinking clearly |
Compulsive behaviours (shopping) |
|
Seeing things
negatively |
Picking fights
with others |
|
Constant
worrying |
Overreacting
to unexpected issues |
|
Memory Loss
|
Jaw Clenching
or Teeth Grinding |
Now you will want to remember that other things can cause some of these
symptoms, therefore if you are experiencing any of these, or any
combination of the symptoms on a continual or repeat basis, please seek
medical assistance. Your physician will be able to help you determine if
the stress in your life is causing these problems or if it is something
else.
Once you understand the things to look for, you will be better prepared
to recognize your body’s signals to you that the stress you are
experiencing is getting to be too much.
Next, you will learn the differences in the types of stress there are
and what you can do to reduce them in your life. Read on. |
