Give Me the Symptoms of Stress

"Give me the symptoms of stress" is often typed into search engines around the globe; many may feel stressed out, but may not know what signs to look for. If this describes you, read on for a comprehensive checklist.

From the physical to the mental, stress affects many different aspects of the body. This is unfortunate because unlike a disease that is isolated within one section of the body, stress travels everywhere, and quite literally, can manifest itself in several different forms. As you can imagine, with stress freely floating throughout your system, you may end up exhibiting many different signs of stress. Here are a few to look for:

The body is a good starting point for observing the different symptoms of stress. That's because physical manifestations are sometimes easier to recognize than mental or behavioral signs. Some of these physical signs can be:

• Headaches: Experiencing the occasional headache is not a cause for concern, but if these become frequent or turn into migraines, it may be time to take them more seriously.

• Pain: Any kind of chronic pain, especially when there is no sound basis for the pain to be there (like that of an underlying condition), can be a sign of stress.

• Upset Stomach: Do you feel as if your stomach is constantly in knots? This and other stomach problems can also be your body's way of telling you it's time to relax.

The symptoms of stress can also be viewed through the lens of one's mental state. Anger, feeling irritable, or excessive worrying can all indicate high levels of stress.

• Anger: Anger is, of course, a very normal emotion, but if you find yourself snapping at every little thing, or waking up and going to sleep in an angry frame of mind, this may indicate a problem.

• Irritability: Irritability and anger are slightly different in that anger tends to be more visible and/or explosive, while irritability is a more subtle emotion. With irritability, you are more likely to respond with annoyance or a criticism, than to start yelling.

• Excessive Worrying: Worrying, like anger, is also quite common, particularly in the face of adverse conditions. This is only a problem if you find yourself worrying to the exclusion of all other things, and if you worry in situations where you'd otherwise feel happy and carefree.

Often times, when your stressed, you may exhibit certain behaviors:

• Overeating/Not eating enough: The need to consume food is hardwired into our brains, so when there is a change in the way you are consuming food, it can indicate a problem. Both overeating and loss of appetite can indicate rising stress levels.

• Withdrawing: Withdrawing from social situations can be a behavioral sign of stress and this symptom doesn't have to be on a grand scale, for example, opting out of an upcoming party or taking a rain check on a Sunday brunch out with friends. A more severe sign may be deciding not to go out, even though you need to.

It's irresponsible to address the demand, "Give me the symptoms of stress" without discussing autoimmune diseases and sleep disturbance. The key factor in understanding autoimmune diseases is that stress turns whatever inherent factor you may have "on". For example, if you have a recessive gene for alopecia, stress can be the aggravating factor that kicks the disease into gear.

In terms of sleep, keep an eye out for any sleep pattern changes. If you ordinarily fall asleep at the drop of a hat, but are now spending hours awake, tossing and turning each night, this can be something worth paying greater attention to.

Stress can manifest in many forms, and because it can affect you on both the physical and mental realm, it needs to be approached in a holistic manner.

If you've gone through these symptoms and one jumps out at you, there may be no reason to worry. However, if that symptom is more serious than some of the others, for example, you are currently experiencing an autoimmune disease; you may want to weight that more heavily.

Likewise, if several of the symptoms ring true, then there is a very good chance that you are experiencing stress. The article 101 Stress Relievers shares some helpful tips so that you can combat just that.

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