How to recognize if you or someone around you is suffering from stress
- Physical signs of stress include:
- Sleep disturbance (insomnia, sleeping fitfully)
- clenched jaw
- grinding teeth
- digestive upsets
- lump in your throat
- difficulty swallowing
- agitated behavior, like twiddling your fingers
- playing with your hair
- increased heart rate
- general restlessness
- sense of muscle tension in your body, or actual muscle twitching
- non cardiac chest pains
- dizziness, lightheartedness
- hyperventilating
- sweaty palms
- nervousness
- stumbling over words
- high blood pressure
- lack of energy
- fatigue
- Cognitive signs of stress include:
- mental slowness
- confusion
- general negative attitudes or thoughts
- constant worry
- your mind races at times
- difficulty concentrating
- forgetfulness
- difficulty thinking in a logical sequence
- the sense that life is overwhelming; you can’t problem-solve
- Emotional Signs of Stress
- irritation
- no sense of humor
- frustration
- jumpiness, over-excitability
- feeling overworked
- feeling overwhelmed
- sense of helplessness
- apathy
- Behavioral signs of stress include:
- decreased contact with family and friends
- poor work relations
- sense of loneliness
- decreased sex drive
- avoiding others and others avoid you because you’re cranky
- failing to set aside times for relaxation
Source: Steve Bressert, Phd
