The signs of stress

What does stress look like for you? Everyone might experience stress in a different way and signs and symptoms will be different for everyone. Read on to find out what stress might look like for you.

Stress is a term that we commonly here about but often we do not even realise that we are stressed until the stress becomes chronic and by then, some people never realise they are stressed because it has become normal for them. By this point, the stress cycle is more difficult to break and the thought patterns associated with it. Although it is not impossible to break the stress cycle, if you can provide yourself with early intervention, you will be much better off. Chronic stress can have huge impact on your overall health and wellbeing if not addressed.

So how do we experience stress? I will list a variety of ways that stress can be identified. You may experience more than one of the symptoms or something entirely different but the most important thing, is that you begin to recognise how stress affects you and use the information to provide yourself with some relief. Living your life in chronic stress has an impact on your physical and mental health, so do what you can to alleviate stress and remember that being chronically stressed will not the change the outcome of the thing you are stressing about, it will only affect yourself and your wellbeing, relationships and health.

1. You may feel anxious: This can feel like excessive worry about things outside of your control, restlessness, the need to be busy, needing distractions such as drugs and alcohol, fear about the future, racing heartbeat and tightening of the chest at times and the inability to focus.

2. Tired but unable to relax: When you live in chronic stress, you are likely to feel tired, as being stressed uses a lot of energy. Even though you are using a lot of energy, you still find it difficult to relax or wind down. You find it difficult to concentrate on the things you once enjoyed or do not find joy in those things anymore. In fact, you may only find joy in addictions or things that you can use to escape your reality temporarily.

3. Mood swings: You may find it difficult to find joy or happiness in anything for a sustained period of time. You can easily become irritable and irrational and may not recognise it at the time. You may recognise it later, if you even have the energy for self-reflection. This happens because if you are chronically stressed, it changes the way that your brain functions over time. You can reverse this though, with time and effort.

4. Heightened emotions: You may find yourself over-reacting to something, you may lack resilience, feel overwhelmed or feel sad and weepy. You may take things personally, when there is no need to do so or that was never the other person's intention. These feelings may be difficult to overcome, as this is likely to have become a habit.

5. Insomnia: You may have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. When you wake up, you may feel exhausted and unrested.

If you experience more than one of the above, there is a good chance that you are chronically stressed and if so, it is important that you employ some strategies and/or supplementation to relieve stress. The amount of effort that you will need to put in to overcome chronic stress will depend on how long you have been stressed. Although successfully reducing stress can take time and commitment, the effects will always be worth it for your life and your health.

In previous blogs, I have given further information on the stress response and how it works and strategies on how to combat stress. If you would like anymore information on this topic, specific strategies or supplements, get in touch. There is plenty of things you can do to start the journey on combatting stress today.