Symptoms of Stress and What You Can Do
Stress

Symptoms of Stress and What You Can Do

By November 18, 2019May 18th, 2020No Comments

SYMPTOMS OF STRESS AND WHAT YOU CAN DO

WHAT IS STRESS?

According to the Cleveland Clinic,  “Stress is the body’s reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses.”  Stress isn’t inherently a bad thing. In fact, some of life’s most incredible moments top the list of most impactful stressors; getting a promotion, becoming a parent, getting married, and moving can all produce stress.

Actually, stress is such a normal part of human functioning that our bodies are specially designed to manage it. The trouble often begins in our internalization of the process. Our culture asks very specific things of us that are often not supportive of how our bodies want to work through stress. We not only have to contend with the stress that comes in the big waves, but also tend to be overworked, underpaid, and beholden to cultural values and standards that see productivity as the end all be all to be worth something.

It’s a lot! You are not alone. 

HOW STRESS WORKS

When we’re placed under any kind of stress, our bodies release a cascade of neurobiologically relevant hormones, chemicals, and immune responses. Stress is meant to be transient for us, ending as soon as the stressor is removed. This cascade is meant to assist us in removing the stressor in order to return back to neutral. This is why in moments of intense stress, our bodies might tense up or tremble. Our heart and respiration rates increase, and we may feel downright overwhelmed. When stress comes up, our bodies are hardwired to respond to it; be it happy stress like gettin’ hitched or the hard stuff like losing a job.

Compounding of everyday stress creates an internal environment that functions incredibly similar to the big stress. That nagging feeling that everything on your to-do list is gonna jump up and bite you? It’s real! And, over time, all of that stress can become toxic, having really significant emotional and physiological impacts. 

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

Stress that continues without relief can lead to a shift in our body’s equilibrium and become distress. Chronic stress leads to physical symptoms like:

  • Headaches
  • Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
  • Chest pain
  • Upset stomach
  • Elevated blood pressure
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Sweating
  • Fainting
  • Heart Disease
  • Trouble breathing

EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

Stress can also have significant impacts on our emotional selves. Some of these symptoms can include:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Constant worry or fear
  • Panic attacks
  • Forgetfulness
  • Anger
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Irritability 
  • Feelings of insecurity or self-doubt

BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

The uptick in physical and emotional symptoms in times of great or prolonged stress can often lead to concerning behavioral changes, too. Things like:

  • Changes in diet
  • Sudden angry outbursts
  • Increased risk of substance abuse
  • Social withdrawal
  • Relationship distress
  • Increased use of mood-altering chemicals like nicotine and caffeine 

Not only does chronic stress begin to measurably impact our lives, but also, it can be a truly distressing experience. One that we can find ourselves in unwittingly, and seemingly out of nowhere. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT STRESS

So, what do we do about it?

NOTICE IT

We can get so focused on the overwhelm of our ever-expanding to-do lists that we don’t have the opportunity to slow down and take note of what is actually happening in our bodies. We might shrug off the occasional headache and not even notice when they begin happening every single day. The first step in being able to navigate stress is to notice it! How does stress impact you and your body? Notice how your body feels, and how the feelings change over the course of a day. Where are you when you really start to feel stress creep in? What do you usually do to soothe yourself? Noticing the presence and impact of stress means that we can begin taking real steps to manage it.

THE USUAL

Like with most things in our lives, taking care of the bodies we’re in is a vital part of managing stress. Getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, moving our bodies, and mindfulness are all really important tools. They’re on every list that’s ever been written about stress management and for a very good reason. Stress is such a deeply physical thing! Preventing and working with it must also include some solid tender loving care for our bodies. 

TALK IT THROUGH

Open up to the people in your life with whom you can feel safe and supported. Talk through how you’re feeling and the ways in which you’re noticing stress creep in. Sharing our struggles with trusted loved ones provides an intimacy that can function as a stress-relief all by itself.  Connecting with other humans on a deep level releases another cascade of chemicals and hormones that might be able to act as an antidote to stress. Pretty cool, huh? The APA encourages folks to expand their social support networks. Even if you’re not feeling stressed, having a strong support system can help prevent stress from developing and provide the necessary support when it does pop up. 

DESTRESS THE DISTRESS

When do you get to just be? What are the things you do that connect you with your humanness? It’s different for all of us! Some of us find that we can recharge and destress in the comfort of our own company, wrapped up with a good book. Others prefer a high energy workout. Perhaps we might even prefer a really well-balanced combination of both. Approach destress with an energy of curiosity. If you aren’t quite sure how to discharge the overwhelm, try something new! Explore how your body responds when you give it what it’s asking for. 

PRIORITIZE

What tasks need to be done now and what can be scheduled later in the day, week, or month? How much energy do we really want to channel into a given task? Where is my energy most needed or useful today? What do I need in order to show up as fully as I can? Can I commit to prioritizing myself today? Ask yourself lots of questions and game plan for what needs to be done and in what order. 

TIME MANAGEMENT

Knowing what lies ahead and how much time you can allocate to any given task can be monumental in finding an avenue for stress relief. Set aside time for yourself to take stock of your day ahead and prepare for the best use of your time. Be realistic here. We only have so many hours in one day and filling it up to the brim can lead to burnout really quickly. Trying to make space for ourselves when we’re really, really burnt out takes a lot more time and energy than it does to prevent it from happening in the first place. 

ASK THE PROS

Therapy can be as specific for what you’re experiencing as you need it to be. Being stressed is a really great reason to seek out the help of a therapist. In therapy, we can learn how to change how we view a particular stressor, learn alternate coping techniques, receive invaluable support, and actually lower the impact of stress on our physical and emotional selves. We can also address the stories we tell ourselves about what stress means about us. Shame can creep in and make an already tricky thing so much trickier. Therapy is a great place to gently reauthor the story. Stress can also be managed with medications and other physiological interventions. Visiting a doctor can be a great first step. 

STRESS: THE TAKEAWAY

Stress is an all-encompassing and normal experience. It can also be distressing and overwhelming! While we can’t necessarily do much about many of the stressors in our lives, we can learn how to work with our own internal experiences. Knowing ourselves and knowing the conditions under which we can truly thrive gives us powerful insight into how we can address stress when it comes up. 

Relationship Therapy Minneapolis MNRelationship Insights Therapy & Coaching offers relationship therapy in Minneapolis, MN. Whether it’s through individual therapy or couples therapy, Relationship Insights is here to help you improve your relationships. We love doing the deep work that actually makes a difference. If you are up for some powerful insights, deep reflection and some awesome tools then contact us to set up a session today.