What Are Your Stress Symptoms?

Stress affects the body in many different ways. Some of these are obvious, but others may not be as noticeable or easy to detect until they become more severe.

Different people are affected more or less intensely, and in different ways.

The effects of stress often look like symptoms of other illnesses (partially due to the fact that stress lowers immunity and makes us vulnerable to many things), sometimes people mistake symptoms of illness for stress and vice versa.

People who thrive on stress tend to feel it as their natural state, making it more difficult to discern stress symptoms until after much of their stress is alleviated.

When under high levels of stress, people often find it difficult to stop and notice their body’s responses.

While stress affects everyone in a unique way, there are certain factors that are common. If you are experiencing any of the following, it could be a sign that you’re being affected by stress:

Headaches:

Certain types of headaches can be related to stress. If you’re experiencing more headaches, especially tension headaches, stress could be the culprit.

More Frequent Colds or Flu: There’s an inverse relationship between stress and immunity, so if you’re under too much stress, you may be getting sick more often.

Sleep Problems:
There are many ways that stress affects sleep. Too much stress can rob you of sleep and make the sleep you get less restorative.

General Anxiety: Anxiety does serve an important function for survival, but if you’re feeling anxious much of the time, it could be because you have too many stressors in your life, or it may indicate a medical condition like generalized anxiety disorder. If you experience an increase in anxiety, you may want to talk to your doctor.

‘Fuzzy Thinking’:

Your body’s stress response pumps your body with hormones that make it possible for you to fight or flee quickly. When triggered in excess, this stress response can actually cause you to think less quickly.

Feelings of Frustration:
If you’re faced with many demands at once, the natural result for many people is increased frustration and irritability. The trick is to find ways to prevent frustration and calm down quickly.

Lowered Libido:
Stress can affect your libido in several ways. If you’re too tired for sex, or can’t seem find the time for your partner, this can be due to stress in your life as well.

Health Effects of Stress and Stress Symptoms

Anxiety and Stress - Generalized Anxiety Disorder - GAD and Stress Stress and Health: How Stress Affects Your Body, Stress Health Conditions,

Feel Better Now

If you want to lower your stress level in a matter of minutes, these techniques are all relatively fast-acting. Use them as needed to feel better quickly; practice them regularly over time and gain even greater benefits.

Breathing Exercises

Meditation

Reframing With a Sense of Humor

Music

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

Yoga

Exercise

Guided Imagery / Visualizations

Journaling

Cognitive Restructuring: Finding Perspective

(Elizabeth Scott, M.S. Stress Management Guide)

Take Care of Yourself

When we're stressed, we don't always take care of our bodies, which can lead to even more stress. Here are some important ways to take care of yourself and keep stress levels lower.

Healthy Eating

Better Sleep

Exercise

Hobbies

Good Nutrition

Healthy Sex Life

Maintaining the Right Attitude

Much of your experience of stress has to do with your attitude and the way you perceive your life's events. Here are some resources to help you maintain a stress-relieving attitude.

Optimism

Being In Control

Overcoming Perfectionism

Using the Law of Attraction

How to Be Happier

Positive Affirmations

Maintaining a Sense of Humor

Mindfulness and Stress Relief

Letting Go of Stressful Thoughts

Letting Go of Anger

Tips on Having Fun

Healthy Habits

Certain routines can help buffer you from stress; if you adopt a few of them, you can more easily manage stress without it becoming severe. The following are some healthy habits you may want to adopt, along with resources to make it easier to make them a lasting part of your life.

Morning Habits

Habits for Better Sleep

Choosing the Right Habits

How to Stick With New Habits

E Courses

Creating the Right Atmosphere

Your physical and emotional surroundings can impact your stress levels in subtle but significant ways. Here are several ways you can change your atmosphere and less your stress.

Soothing Environment

Music

De-Cluttering

Aromatherapy

Positive Energy

Create a Home Spa

Resources for Busy People

Many stressed people are busy people--people who may have more stressors in their lives (because they have more activity in their lives), and less time to devote to stress management. If you're a busy person, these resources can help you to manage stress efficiently in a short amount of time, and eliminate some of what's causing you stress in the first place.

Ongoing Stress Reduction Resources

Time Management

Finding Time

Prioritizing

Best Stress Relievers for Busy People

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