Stress is something we all face and a lot of the time we do not even notice it. The more stressed we are the more uncomfortable and irritated we become.
While stress itself is a very psychological thing, it takes on a lot of physical symptoms that we usually associate with other things. Whether you’re experiencing a series of stressful events or facing short-term problems stress is never fun. The more aware of it you are the easier it is to combat the things stemming from it.
In regards to stress on a chronic level the APA wrote as follows on their website:
In addition, an extreme amount of stress can take a severe emotional toll. While people can overcome minor episodes of stress by tapping into their body’s natural defenses to adapt to changing situations, excessive chronic stress, which is constant and persists over an extended period of time, can be psychologically and physically debilitating.
Unlike everyday stressors, which can be managed with healthy stress management behaviors, untreated chronic stress can result in serious health conditions including anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure, and a weakened immune system. Research shows that stress can contribute to the development of major illnesses, such as heart disease, depression, and obesity. Some studies have even suggested that unhealthy chronic stress management, such as overeating “comfort” foods, has contributed to the growing obesity epidemic. Yet, despite its connection to illness, APA’s Stress in America survey revealed that 33 percent of Americans never discuss ways to manage stress with their healthcare provider.
Chronic stress can occur in response to everyday stressors that are ignored or poorly managed, as well as to exposure to traumatic events. The consequences of chronic stress are serious, particularly as it contributes to anxiety and depression. People who suffer from depression and anxiety are at twice the risk for heart disease than people without these conditions. Additionally, research has shown that there is an association between both acute and chronic stress and a person’s abuse of addictive substances.
Below I am going to go over some of the signs that you could be overly stressed. These signs are things that can really impact you on a serious level. Noticing these signs will allow you to be more present in working to understand where your stress is coming from and from there you can work to eliminate some of it through which you can also eliminate some of these symptoms.
11 Signs You Are Too Stressed To Even Realize It:
1. Difficulty Relaxing
When we are stressed we become much more on edge. Relaxing becomes a problem, and we tend to find ourselves quite irritable and uncomfortable. While you might feel like there is no means of resolving this, reaching out to someone and talking it through helps tremendously.
2. Insomnia
Stress for a lot of reasons tends to keep people up at night. They stay awake thinking about ways to fix things and in the end leave themselves quite exhausted. This also can lead to the next listed symptom.
3. Moodiness
The more irritated we are with the things we are facing the moodier we tend to be. If you’re lashing out or struggling on an emotional level it could be due to stress. While stress affects everyone in different ways the more stressed you are the less capable you will be of controlling the way you’re feeling overall.
4. Acne
When some people are feeling stressed they tend to touch their faces more often than they would otherwise this spreads bacteria and causes more acne. Acne is one of the more common signs associated with stress and getting rid of the stress you’re feeling can seriously impact your skin health. While you might not always be able to associate stress and acne with one another, their connection should not be forgotten.
5. Appetite Changes
Stress for some makes them want to eat more and for others makes them want to eat less. If you have an increased appetite or are unable to eat at all it could be coming from the things bothering you. You should not ignore this sign.
6. Headaches
Because stress creates tension within the body it more often than not presents itself in the form of a headache. If you’re having frequent headaches or end up having one after hearing about certain things considering whether or not they’re stress-related is important. I have stress headaches frequently, and they are in no way fun.
7. Low Self-Esteem
The more stressed we become the worse our thoughts also become. We think badly of ourselves for not being able to overcome whatever we’re dealing with and in many ways end up with negative self-thoughts. This might not seem like much to most but to those affected it can really lower their self-esteem levels drastically.
8. Inability To Focus
The more stress you’re under the less likely you’re going to be able to focus properly. Depending on what is causing your stress you could find that thinking about other things is impossible. If you can’t get your mind off something, fixing whatever that something is should even everything back out.
9. Muscle Pains
Stress be it psychological or physical can cause lots of tension within our muscles. This leads to pain in different areas. You might end up with an achy back, neck, or something else of the sort.
10. Forgetfulness
The more stressed a person is the more likely they will be to forget things. This mainly because whatever is stressing them is likely on their mind more-so than other things. If things keep slipping your mind it could be related to stress, just take that into consideration moving forward.
11. Digestive Issues
‘Stomach’ problems are something that tends to accompany stress big time. If you’re feeling like your stomach is ‘tied in knots’ or you’re spending more time than you’d like to in the bathroom it could be stress-related. Our gut and nervous system, in general, are very linked up.