In Blog 1 we explored the meaning of stress and started to look at the symptoms & causes of stress. In Blog 2 we will discuss in more details the symptoms and triggers of stress.
Symptoms of stress
Recognizing your signs of stress plays an important role in its management; it is better to catch stress early rather than wait until the symptoms become more severe.
There are broadly three main types of symptoms: physical, emotional and behavioural.
Physical signs may include:
- – Aches and pains
- – Headaches
- – Muscle twitches
- – Nausea
- – Tiredness
Many people complain of the proverbial “pain in the neck”; in this case it is literal!
Emotional signs may include:
- – Anxiety
- – Irritability
- – Lack of concentration and forgetfulness
- – Loss of motivation
- – Mood swings
Behavioural signs may include:
- – Being vague & indecisive
- – Clumsiness
- – Difficulty sleeping
- – Lack of self-care
- – Making mistakes
These are a few of the telltale signs. We may not recognize them as symptoms of stress unless we develop an awareness of them. It is important to be aware of your individual indicators so that you can take action to reduce, manage and cope with your stress, preferably before it takes too much of a hold. Allowing stress to continue over a prolonged period can produce extreme tiredness and exhaustion, a ‘frozen’ feeling and inability to think and act and ultimately may make you susceptible to catching colds, flu and viruses and to becoming ill.
So have a think about it….
- Consider which of the above you have experienced and are signs to you that you are feeling stressed.
- Make a note of other symptoms you have personally experienced that you feel are associated with stress, such as stomach cramp, loss of appetite or an inability to switch off.
- Next time you are aware of difficulty coping, notice the effect on you physically, emotionally and behaviourally and write them down, so that you are alert to those symptoms of stress in the future.
Causes of stress
Being aware of what you are likely to feel stressed by helps you pre-empt, cope and manage stressful times. In the course of a single day, there are many potential stressors such as:
- Oversleeping
- Transport delays
- Being late
- Other people being late
- Being unable to find something you need
- Computer problems
- A colleague being unhelpful
- Too much to do at work
- Your boss being unhappy with a piece of work you’ve done
- Being asked to work late when you have other commitments
- Having a disagreement with friend, flatmate or family
- Wondering how, as well as work, you can do all the personal tasks that need doing, e.g. childcare, cleaning, the dentist, booking your car for its MOT
In addition to the day to day stressors, there are other demands such tax returns and occasions to organize such as birthdays, as well as challenging events like house moves, applying for university, taking exams, moving job as well as illness and bereavement.
It is helpful to think about some of the stressors in your life and to consider
- What stressors can be pre-empted or avoided
- What stressors can be minimized
- What stressors will need coping strategies.
If, for example, you are frequently late, what can you do to ensure you are on time?
If you have too much to do, is there something you could say “no” to, or could you organize your time more effectively?
We will explore a range of strategies in the next Blog.
Meanwhile you may like to sign up for my Newsletters, of which the latest is entitled Stress: Seven Steps to Better Sleep
In addition, you will find more information about stress management on my website and further tips if you follow me on Twitter.
