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Sometimes we get too stressed and don’t really know how to change things. We end up leaving ourselves worked up for far too long, and it really begins to take a serious toll on us and affects our wellbeing.

Being stressed for too long is a very serious problem. It can really take a toll on you and even those around you. It can drive you into fight mode or have you completely ready to fall apart. There is nothing good about being so stressed you are struggling to function. While we tend to ignore the earlier signs of stress, when things get to a specific point there is no ignoring it anymore.

Below, I am going to go over some of the signs that you have let yourself become overwhelmed with stress and are not dealing with it like you should be. When you find yourself in this kind of situation, it is best to face things head on. Take care of what needs to be taken care of and allow yourself to relax.

11 Things That Might Happen if You’ve Been Stressed for Far Too Long:

1. You become highly irritable.

When we are stressed, every negative thing is far worse than it might seem otherwise. Even the smallest things make you mad. People think you’re just being crabby but that is not quite what is happening.

2. You either begin eating a lot more or struggle to eat at all.

When we are stressed, we tend to go through some serious appetite changes. We either eat a lot more or can’t force ourselves to eat at all. There is not much room for an in-between.

3. You struggle to get the sleep that you need.

When we are stressed, sleep becomes almost impossible. Our minds refuse to let us calm down, and we sit up thinking things through over and over. This can be exhausting.

4. You have intense breakdown moments.

When we are stressed, we really open up a lot more in ways we shouldn’t. We break down in some of the worst ways at the worst times. At this point, we are struggling to keep ourselves together.

5. You end up feeling quite fatigued.

When we are stressed, we become so tired that we struggle to continue forward. Everything ends up feeling as if it is working against us, and we don’t know how to make sense of it all. We cannot often figure out where to go from here.

6. You have to increase your caffeine intake because of your lack of sleep.

When we are stressed, we end up drinking a lot more caffeine than we normally would. This is because we just cannot get the rest that we need. When this happens, we end up just moving through the motions and not actually living.

7. Even the smallest things become extremely annoying.

When we are stressed, some of the things we used to love become annoying to us. We are on edge and irritated by most everything, and no one can calm us down. It’s like the whole world is against us, even when it isn’t.

8. You become even more focused than you were before.

When we are stressed, we focus on all of the negative things and dive right into work or other things to keep our mind off of it. The more we do this, the deeper the rut gets. We have to overcome the things we are facing, ignoring them does no good.

9. You feel like you are running around like a ‘chicken with its head cut off.’

When we are stressed, it can feel as if we are doing so much more than everyone else. We throw ourselves into any and everything to keep ourselves busy. This is not often the best route to take.

10. You start breaking out.

When we are stressed, it becomes quite apparent through our skin. Breakouts tend to be stress related and can be quite upsetting. They just make everything ten times worse.

11. You begin getting those horrendous ‘tension headaches.’

When we are stressed, sometimes we end up with tension headaches. This is especially true for me. No matter how mild the stress is if I cannot get it to go away I will end up with a tension headache.