Common Signs of Stress:
- Headaches, stomach aches, and other physical discomfort that has no identifiable physical cause and does not go away with typical physical remedies.
- Irritability: We often don’t understand what’s going on inside ourselves. We may have poor concentration and feelings of emptiness and anxiety. This is a common manifestation of stress.
- General anxiety: Constant feelings of your heart racing and feeling nervous. Trying to alleviate those feelings with alcohol, food or drugs to mask what is happening.
- Fatigue: Many adults feel that being tired all the time is a hallmark of adulthood. However, that’s not necessarily the case. Believe it or not, there are millions of people out there who feel energized most days, and fatigued only sometimes. If you’re tired every single day – and you get enough sleep – then consider the fact that the cause of your fatigue may be stress, as opposed to ‘adulting’.
- Frequent illness: This is similar, but not identical to the headaches and stomach aches we mention above. The difference is that here we’re talking about actual illnesses, such as colds. Chronic stress compromises optimal immune function, which can increase vulnerability. This can make someone more prone to virus infections.
The first thing to do when under stress is to admit to yourself you are under stress. Then seek help and talk through your situation with wellbeingforus.com. Our therapists are trained to listen and to give advice. We hope you can find the courage to seek out support.
Here’s to a far less stressful 2021!