Symptoms of STRESS

The leading cause of STRESS is our ability to cope with the pressures of life, such as work, career, family, relationships, social interactions, traumas, accidents, and financial situations; as well as the way we perceive and think about ourselves and our place in the world. Stress can manifest in a number of ways, from short-term acute symptoms to long-term chronic systemic break-downs. Left unresolved, stress causes states of dis-ease or illness.

Short-term positive stress gives you motivation to achieve goals and take action. It gives you that rush of adrenaline to get the job done – like when you have to meet a deadline at work, and then it dissipates once the job is accomplished. You may feel a surge of energy, your heart might beat faster, you’re focused on the task at hand and you feel a drive and pressure to get it done. The main point is that it dissipates. Positive short-term stress energy motivates you into action and then releases upon completion of that action. In its place you’ll feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

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Why does negative stress occur? Usually through mental processes: You’ve started to worry about something, either you dwell on it too much or instead of dealing with it and figuring out what is causing the anxiety, you push it aside. When you do this often the physical symptoms occur. It’s your body’s way of telling you that something is up, that something isn’t right and you need to pay attention.

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Mental symptoms can look and feel like this:

• Constant irritability with people
• Feeling unable to cope with people and situations
• Lack of motivation
• Difficulty in making decisions
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Difficulty finishing tasks
• Trying to multi-task but not completing any of them properly
• Difficulty in letting go and laughing
• Loss of interest in life and other people
• Awareness of suppressed rage or anger because of inability, for whatever reason, to     show your true feelings
• A feeling of being the target of other people's animosity
• Fearing disease or illness, constantly or recurrently
• Feelings of failure
• Feelings of being bad or no-good
• Self-hatred
• Feeling ugly or unworthy
• Feeling neglected or isolated
• Dreading the future and being resistant to situations in your life

If you don’t address the cause of your anxiety these symptoms just continue to build.

Negative short-term stress can manifest as:

• Churning stomach/butterflies
• Nausea, vomiting
• Digestive upsets (such as indigestion, heartburn, diarrhoea, constipation)
• Increase frequency of urination
• Dry mouth
• Loss of appetite
• Headaches
• Palpitations
• Shortness of breath
• Trembling
• Sweating
• Tearfulness/crying
• Weakness in the legs
• Lethargic
• Unable to raise your energy levels to meet the requirements of a situation
• Sleepless nights
• Muscle tension
• Chest tightness
• Pain of unknown origin
• Irritability and easily frustrated
• Emotional state easily changes to one of anger
• Unable to focus, mental ‘fog’
• Starting many tasks but not completing them

Stress can manifest as an anxiety attack where mental panic, shortness of breath, hyperventilation, palpitations, and weakness of legs are the main symptoms.

So what does negative short-term stress look and feel like?

Medium-term negative stress can result in:

• Digestive disorders
• Migraines
• Hypertension
• Adrenal fatigue
• Exhaustion
• Persistent sleep disturbances
• Skin conditions
• Ulcers
• Constant mental duress
• Chronic Fatigue disorders
• Chronic pain disorders

To combat stress and prevent it from building into medium or long-term we need to:

• Address the cause of the anxiety – acknowledge the stress!
• Listen to your body
• Learn coping mechanisms
• Adjust conflicting or detrimental attitudes and beliefs
• Adjust or reflect on our perceptions, and our attitudes towards situations in our lives
• Build a strong body with nutritious food that keeps the immune system strong
• Take time-out for yourself
• Experience joy – yes! Allow some ‘play’ time in your life

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When it develops into long-term negative stress you can experience:

• Lowered immune system
• Weakened tendons, ligaments, muscles, bones
• Muscle spasms
• Chronic Insomnia
• Hypertension
• Increased cholesterol production
• Thyroid malfunction
• Depression

you can develop serious conditions related to:

• Angina
• Heart attack
• Strokes
• and some cancers!

Please note that you should never self-diagnose. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms please consult your GP or Medical Professional to rule out any underlying medical conditions.

Images courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net/
1 Stuart Miles
2 Graur Razvan Ionut
3 Imagery Majestic
4 FrameAngel
5 Toa55

Blog: Symptoms of Stress. Ends.
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