Stress
Stress isn’t always bad. In small doses it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price. If you frequently find yourself feeling overwhelmed, it’s time to take action to bring your nervous system back into balance. You can protect yourself by learning how to recognise the signs and symptoms of stress and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects.
Everyone experiences stress differently and it can affect your mental and physical health in many different ways. But there are healthy ways to find relief.
Stress that you can tolerate helps you to stay focused, energetic, and alert. But when stress becomes overwhelming it can damage your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life.
You can protect yourself by learning how to recognise the signs and symptoms of stress overload and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects.
Stress Symptoms, Signs and Causes
Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand or threat. When you sense danger — whether it’s real or imagined — the body's defences kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the 'fight-or-flight' reaction, or the stress response.
The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life by giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident.
Stress can also help you rise to meet challenges. It’s what keeps you on your toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you’re attempting the game-winning penalty or drives you to study for an exam when you'd rather be watching TV. But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life.
Fight-or-Flight Response
When you feel threatened your nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, which rouse the body for emergency action. Your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and your senses become sharper. These physical changes increase your strength and stamina, speed your reaction time, and enhance your focus, preparing you to either fight or flee from the danger at hand.
The Effects of Chronic Stress
Your nervous system isn’t very good at distinguishing between emotional and physical threats. If you’re super stressed over an argument with a friend, a work deadline, or a mountain of bills, your body can react just as strongly as if you’re facing a true life-or-death situation. And the more your emergency stress system is activated, the easier it is to trip and the harder it is to shut off.
If you tend to get stressed out frequently — as many of us do in today’s demanding world — your body many be in a heightened state of stress most of the time. And that can lead to serious health problems. Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in your body. It can suppress your immune system, upset your digestive and reproductive systems, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, and speed up the ageing process. It can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.
Health problems caused or exacerbated by stress
| Health problems caused or exacerbated by stress | |
|---|---|
| Depression and anxiety | Skin conditions, such as eczema |
| Pain | Heart disease |
| Sleep problems | Weight problems |
| Autoimmune diseases | Reproductive issues |
| Digestive problems | Thinking and memory problems |
Signs and symptoms of stress overload
The most dangerous thing about stress is how easily it can creep up on you. You get used to it. It starts to feels familiar - even normal. You don’t notice how much it’s affecting you, even as it takes a heavy toll. That’s why it’s important to be aware of the common warning signs and symptoms of stress overload.
Cognitive Symptoms
- Memory problems
- Inability to concentrate
- Poor judgement
- Seeing only the negative
- Anxious thoughts
- Constant worrying
Emotional Symptoms
- Depression or general unhappiness
- Anxiety and agitation
- Moodiness, irritability or anger
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Loneliness and isolation
- Other emotional health problems
Physical Symptoms
- Aches and pains
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Nausea or dizziness
- Chest pain, rapid heart rate
- Loss of sex drive
- Frequent colds and flu
Behavioural Symptoms
- Eating more or less
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Withdrawing from others
- Procrastinating or neglecting things
- Using alcohol, cigarettes or drugs to relax
- Nervous habits such as nail biting
Causes of Stress
The situations and pressures that cause stress are known as stressors. We usually think of stressors as being negative, such as an exhausting work schedule or a rocky relationship. However, anything that puts high demands on you can be stressful. This includes positive events such as getting married, buying a house, going to college, or receiving a promotion.
Of course, not all stress is caused by external factors. Stress can also be internal or self-generated, when you worry excessively about something that may or may not happen, or have irrational, pessimistic thoughts about life.
Finally, what causes stress depends, at least in part, on your perception of it. Something that's stressful to you may not faze someone else; they may even enjoy it. For example, your morning commute may make you anxious and tense because you worry that traffic will make you late. Others, however, may find the trip relaxing because they allow more than enough time and enjoy listening to music while they drive.
Common external causes of stress
- Major life changes
- Work or school
- Relationship difficulties
- Financial problems
- Being too busy
- Children and family
Common internal causes of stress
- Pessimism
- Inability to accept uncertainty
- Rigid thinking, lack of flexibility
- Negative self-talk
- Unrealistic expectations / perfectionism
- All-or-nothing attitude
Top 10 stressful life events
- Death of a spouse
- Divorce
- Marriage separation
- Imprisonment
- Death of a close family member
- Injury or illness
- Marriage
- Job loss
- Marriage reconciliation
- Retirement
How much stress is too much?
Because of the widespread damage stress can cause, it’s important to know your own limit. But just how much stress is 'too much' differs from person to person. Some people seem to be able to roll with life’s punches, while others may struggle in the face of small obstacles or frustrations. Some people even thrive on the excitement of a high-stress lifestyle.
Things that influence your stress tolerance level
Your support network:
A strong network of supportive friends and family members is an enormous buffer against stress. When you have people you know you can count on, life’s pressures don’t seem as overwhelming. On the flip side, the more lonely and isolated you are, the greater your risk of succumbing to stress.
Your sense of control:
If you have confidence in yourself and your ability to influence events and persevere through challenges, it’s easier to take stress in stride. On the other hand, if you believe that you have little control over your life — that you’re at the mercy of your environment and circumstances, for example, with limited ability to make changes — stress is more likely to paralyse you and knock you off course.
Your attitude and outlook:
The way you look at life and its inevitable challenges makes a huge difference in your ability to handle stress. If you’re generally hopeful and optimistic, you’ll be less vulnerable. Stress-resilient people tend to embrace challenges, have a stronger sense of humour, believe in a higher purpose, and accept change as an inevitable part of life.
Your ability to deal with your emotions:
If you don’t know how to calm and soothe yourself when you’re feeling sad, angry, or afraid, you’re highly likely to become stressed and agitated. Having the ability to identify and deal appropriately with your emotions can increase your tolerance to stress and help you bounce back from adversity.
Your knowledge and preparation:
The more you know about a stressful situation — including how long it will last and what to expect — the easier it is to cope. For example, if you go into surgery with a realistic picture of what to expect post-op, a painful recovery will be less stressful than if you were expecting to bounce back immediately.
Improving your ability to handle stress
Get moving – Upping your activity level is something you can do right now to help yourself start to feel better. Regular exercise can lift your mood and serve as a distraction from worries, allowing you to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed stress. Rhythmic exercises such as walking, running, swimming, and dancing are particularly effective, especially if you exercise mindfully (focusing your attention on the physical sensations you experience as you move).
Connect with others – The simple act of talking face-to-face with another human can trigger hormones that relieve stress when you're feeling uncomfortable, unsure, or unsafe. Even just a brief exchange of kind words or a friendly look from another human being can help calm and soothe your nervous system. So spend time with people who make you feel good and don’t let your responsibilities keep you from having a social life. If you don’t have any close relationships, or your relationships are the source of your stress, make it a priority to build stronger and more satisfying connections.
Engage your senses – Another fast way to relieve stress is by engaging one or more of your senses: sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, or movement. The key is to find the sensory input that works for you. Does listening to an uplifting song make you feel calm? Or smelling ground coffee? Or maybe petting an animal works quickly to make you feel centred? Everyone responds to sensory input a little differently, so experiment to find what works best for you.
Learn how to relax – You can’t completely eliminate stress from your life, but you can control how much it affects you. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing activate the body’s relaxation response, a state of restfulness that is the opposite of the fight or flight or mobilisation stress response. When practiced regularly, these activities lead to a reduction in your everyday stress levels and a boost in your feelings of joy and serenity. They also increase your ability to stay calm and collected under pressure
Eat a healthy diet – Feeling tired can increase stress by causing you to think irrationally. At the same time, chronic stress can disrupt your sleep. Whether you’re having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night, there are plenty of ways to improve your sleep so you feel less stressed and more productive and emotionally balanced.
Support organisations for Stress
Mind – Information, support, and a dedicated helpline for UK sufferers and their families.