Signs of Stress - Understanding and Relief

What can be considered as clear signs of stress? It's no secret that people from all walks of life are dealing with stress.

People are looking for stress relief as a way to help improve their circumstances, their health and the way they feel.

All of us can see the signs that we experience both day to day and over a long period of time, and it can be draining on us.

However, understanding more about stress, where it comes from and what some of the symptoms, signs and even solutions are, can help you move ahead in a more positive direction in the future.

The Basics

First, it's important to understand a few basic concepts about signs of stress, such as the difference between acute and chronic stress.

Chronic stress is a reaction initiated by the brain which goes on for a long period of time. It doesn't have to be continuous as if there was never any break from that stress, but it is ongoing and seems out of control, repetitive and nearly assured of happening.

Acute stress, on the other hand, is the body and brain's reaction to an immediate threat of some kind. It doesn't have to be a physical threat, it could also be an emotional or mental threat of some sort, or any situation that arises and causes an immediate response and reaction.

It may be nearly impossible to entirely get rid of acute stress, as situations are always going to raise which initiate and illicit responses within us. However, signs of stress from acute stress, in addition to chronic stress, can still be relieved, worked on, and controlled.

Prevention is the Key

It's also always better to begin dealing with the signs, symptoms and effects before the problem does indeed become chronic. From there, it's much harder to "undo" the brains and body's responses which have become ingrained, and you will have already been dealing with the problem for a much longer period of time.

Before moving on to stress relief, it's also important to understand the different ways in which stress can affect you. It can cause effects and symptoms on three different "levels", which are your body, your mood, and your behavior. Individuals will experience their own unique set of symptoms across these three different levels, and there is not necessarily one set of guaranteed symptoms that you will always feel.

The effects of stress on your body are the ones that we are probably the most likely to notice first within ourselves. Symptoms can include muscle tension, headaches, pain and fatigue, upset stomach and other stomach problems, difficulty sleeping, increased sweating, rapid heart rate and breathing rate, and more. These are the most tangible things and therefore the easiest to identify.

Your mood can also be affected, and you can experience anxiety and nervousness, restlessness, a loss of motivation or drive, depression and sadness, irritability and anger, and more. These are easy enough to pick up on by yourself as well, although it may be more difficult to associate what is causing these mood changes.

With changes in behavior, it is other people in your life who may be the first to notice. You might have angry outbursts, or you could withdraw socially. You can begin abusing things like drugs or alcohol, or even abusing your food intake, cigarettes, or other substances as well.

Relief

Signs of stress may take you on a downward spiral, meaning that it's easy to get caught up in it, and once you do, it can get worse and worse, and it can also become prolonged, rather than stemming from isolated, immediate incidents.

The good news is that there are lots of potential ways that you can seize control of yourself to help fight the symptoms, effects and problems of stress.

For example, learning breathing techniques to help relax you can have a profound effect on your mood and behavior. It can be taken up to the scale of full meditation, or it can be a simple cool-down technique to help you recharge yourself and calm down. Getting more physical exercise can also boost your mood and release your tension.

As you can see, there are many different signs of stress, and it's something that nearly every person experiences at some point in their life, if not on an ongoing basis. It doesn't have to take over your life though, you can transform it.

The first step is understanding what you're going against, and from there learning stress relief techniques which can help you be more positive and relaxed.

From Signs of Stress to the main page about Stress Symptoms