The Signs Of Stress You Shouldn’t Ignore

Stress is a mental health issue that has been receiving more and more attention. Not only can it lead to behavioral changes, but it can also lead to physical problems. Employers are increasingly under pressure to ensure their workforce are not placed under undue stress. Recognizing the symptoms of stress is important for them as well as sufferers so action can be taken to resolve the problems.

Exercise the stress away!

In Your Head
Headaches are one of the most common symptoms of stress. They might come on because of tension in the neck and shoulders or grinding of the teeth. Most of us hold or touch our foreheads when we’re struggling with a headache or stress. Of course, we’re busy people so we usually just get on with our day, missing the opportunity to deal with the problem.

In Your Stomach
Have you ever noticed that butterflies in the tummy feeling when you have a big meeting or a job interview? Nerves can cause knots in your stomach that are noticeable. Stress can go a step further and cause all the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. While it might be easy to find an irritable bowel treatment, it’s not always easy to understand why it’s happening. Of course, the stress of having those symptoms will compound the problem too.

In Your Work
Do you keep making mistakes when you’re stressed? Simple arithmetic can suddenly be impossible to solve. You might struggle to spell words correctly or remember what you went into the room for. Distraction is a big part of stress, but the fight-or-flight response of stress could be the problem here. It can prevent the higher brain function of problem-solving. Adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol have enormous effects on your body and mind. And none of it feels good.

In Your Muscles
When we are stressed, we tend to suffer pain. While pain might cause stress, it can commonly occur the other way around. This might be due to an increase in blood pressure and the extra tension in muscles. It’s easier to strain muscles when they’re tense too. Remember all those muscle massages you do after a good workout? Now is the time to practice them some more. You can also try a massage therapist to see if different types of massage technique can offer more relief.

In Your Diet
Reaching for the comfort foods is a common habit when we’re under pressure. We feel like we need more energy to cope so we go for the high calorie, high sugar snacks that we ordinarily wouldn’t touch. Unfortunately, this can exacerbate the problem. The excess sugar can make you feel ill, and the extra guilt will make you feel emotionally vulnerable too. If you find yourself binge eating, chances are you’re under a lot of stress. There are better ways to deal with it.

Stress can be relieved in a number of ways. First, try some exercise. This will help eliminate the extra adrenaline from the flight-or-fight response. Try relaxing massages and quiet time. Getting away from the source of the stress can often help relieve it. Finally, try talking to someone about your feelings. Counseling and friendship can be very beneficial here.