Signs of Stress

Stress impacts people differently. Knowing your signs can help you more quickly take steps to alleviate your stress levels before they become damaging. Some signs of stress include:

• Emotional
  • Moodiness
  • Inability to relax / being on edge
  • Irritability
  • Tearfulness
  • Feeling anxious
• Behavioral
  • Avoiding others
  • Inefficiency in work
  • Changes in sleeping or eating patterns
  • Binge TV-watching or video game playing
  • Neglecting self-care
  • Engaging in negative coping strategies or numbing behaviors
• Physical
  • Headaches and muscle tension
  • Stomachaches, digestive distress or gastric ulcers
  • Raised blood pressure and increased heart rate
  • Fatigue
• Cognitive
  • Constant worrying
  • Racing thoughts
  • Catastrophizing
  • Forgetfulness and disorganization
  • Inability to concentrate

Many people can list plenty of ideas to deal with stress; however, it’s important to remember some overall strategies—“The 2 C’s and 4 A’s of Stress Management” that can be helpful.

• Change the situation
  • Avoid unnecessary stress
    • Not all stressful situations can be avoided, but sometimes stress is created unnecessarily. For example, there may be things you are doing that you can say “no” to or delegate. There may be people that you can avoid that cause you stress or you might be able to drop things from your to-do list that aren’t actually necessary.
  • Alter the situation
    • Sometimes you can limit the stress in your life by changing the situation. For example, you could communicate with others more, be more assertive, state your boundaries and limits, manage your time better, or even walk away from the situation temporarily.
• Change your reaction
  • Adapt to the stressor
    • Even if you can’t change the stressor, you can change your own attitudes and behaviors by reframing problems, looking at the big picture, adjusting your standards, and practicing gratitude. Many “traditional” stress management strategies (like exercise and meditation) fall into this category, as you change your behavior.
  • Accept the things you can’t change
    • Some sources of stress are unavoidable and in those cases, it’s often best to accept things as they are. Don’t try to control the uncontrollable (including the behaviors of others), look for the upside, and share your feelings.

With these strategies, you likely can figure out predictable pressure release methods that work best for you in most situations. These will be your best resource for reducing your stress levels when you notice them rising.

However, when your feelings of stress and overwhelm exceed your ability to cope, or you find that these strategies don’t help, you may consider talking to your doctor or a mental health professional.