In today’s busy world almost everyone is stressed about one thing or the other. Stress is caused by any mental or emotional strain, caused by difficult or adverse circumstances. Stress affects all of us in one way or another. Our tight schedules leave us with very little time to relax and rest. It is normal to have little stress, but when stress becomes too much it is harmful, both mentally and physically. Our bodies are designed to handle the small daily stressful situations, but it becomes harmful when it becomes chronic. Hence in today’s post, we will go deep into Stress Symptoms Signs And Causes.
One of the first steps of addressing or controlling stress is to know the signs and symptoms of stress. Many of us ignore the early signs of stress, which finally leads us to burnout or to a breaking point wherein the body cannot take it anymore. Stress acts differently for different people. What can be a stressful situation for one person may not be a stressful situation for another person?
So what exactly is stress?
Stress is the body’s reaction to harmful or adverse situations in life. This reaction may increase your heart rate, tighten up the muscles, breathing quickens and also the blood pressure rises up.
Stress Symptoms Signs And Causes
Let us look at some of the signs and symptoms of Stress.
1. Chronic and recurring Headaches.
One of the main fallout of stress is chronic headaches. People who suffer from high stress have pain in the head and neck area. Chronic headaches have been associated with stress. If you are having chronic headaches, it time to relax and ease your schedule. Try and see a doctor to get early help in order to avoid any future breakdown.
2. Less Sleep.
We all have experienced that once the body is stressed out, our sleep gets disturbed. Research has indicated that chronic fatigue and low energy levels are directly caused by the stress in the body. Stress disrupts the normal sleep schedule, leading to sleeplessness. Lack of sleep is one of the main causes of low energy. Therefore it is important to relax and take steps to improve your sleep habits.
3. A Low Immune System leads to frequent sickness.
Stress is also one of the main causes leading to a low immune system. If you are frequently falling sick with fever, cough, cold etc., then it is due to a weakened immune system. Stress and immunity are connected. The high amount of stress can lead to the low immunity of the body.
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4. An increase of acne on the face.
Acne is one of the ways of the body showing stress. Research on teenagers has indicated an increase in the severity of acne, prior to exams. Further, when people are stressed out they tend to touch their faces more often leading to the spread of bacteria, which in turn increases the acne. There are also other causes of acne like hormonal balance, blocked pores, excess oil production etc.
5. Itchy Skin and Allergies.
Sometimes stress is also responsible for itchy skin. Research indicates that stress activates the nerve fibers, which in turn causes an itchy sensation. Similarly, the stress hormones are also responsible for stimulating the production of a blood protein, which in turn causes allergic reactions.
Some of the other signs and symptoms of stress are listed below :
- Constipation or diarrhea.
- Aches and pains due to tense muscles.
- Nervousness, sweaty hands, and feet.
- Dry mouth and difficulty in eating or swallowing the food.
- Grinding of teeth or clenched jaws.
- Easily getting overwhelmed and losing self-control.
- Finding it difficult to remain calm and relaxed.
- Low self-esteem leading to depression.
- Lack of focus and poor decision making.
- Constant anxiety and worry.
- Increased use of additive things like drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, eating too much or too less.
Some of the causes of stress are listed below :
- Important life changes like death, divorce, permanent injury, marriage, retirement, financial instability etc.
- A busy schedule where there is no time to relax and rest.
- Raising children and other family issues.
- Not able to accept any uncertainty.
- Unrealistic expectations or trying to be perfect.
- Pessimistic or negative attitude.
Some of the fall-outs of stress are listed below :
- High Blood Pressure.
- Heart Diseases.
- Obesity and eating disorders.
- Skin and hair problems
- Depression and panic attacks.
- Digestive problems.
- Reproductive problems.
- Thinking and memory problems.
Some of the ways of handling stress are listed below :
- Keep a time for prayer and your own “me” time.
- Eat a healthy balanced diet.
- Exercise regularly.
- Connect with family members and friends regularly.
- Have a close support group of friends and family members, wherein you can share things and take good advice.
- Take time to go for nature walks etc., wherein you can feel all your senses. Appreciate the morning sunrise or smell a flower or coffee etc., and enjoy the process.
- Learn to take small relaxing breaks no matter how busy your schedule is in the day. Listen to a good song, read inspiring quotes or blogs that boost your morale.
- Be thankful and grateful to God and to others around you.
- Avoid being judgemental and critical of people around you.
These are some of the ways to help you understand the stress signs and symptoms and to take appropriate measure to address the same at the initial stage itself. Leading a happy and peaceful life is a gift from God and so we need to spend more time in the presence of God.
The Bible says that no one can add a single hour to their life by worrying, so why do you worry. Moreover, do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. So take one day at a time and enjoy this life’s journey.
Hope you have enjoyed this article on Stress Symptoms Signs And Causes.
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