Stress is something we all deal with on some level, but we all need to do something about it so that it does not reach a chronic level. Chronic stress is not something to take lightly and can have a serious toll on your well-being as a whole.
For those who might not know, chronic stress is basically a ‘prolonged and constant feeling of stress that can negatively affect your health if it goes untreated. It can be caused by the everyday pressures of family and work or by traumatic situations.’ According to VeryWellMind, it is something we go through when the body experiences ‘stressors with such frequency or intensity that the autonomic nervous system does not have an adequate chance to activate the relaxation response on a regular basis.’
When we are facing chronic stress, we face some pretty gnarly effects and overall struggle a lot more than most realize. Below, I am going to go over some of the more common signs that you could be experiencing chronic stress. These signs are things we tend to ignore, and when we ignore them they only get worse.
5 Warning Signs Of Chronic Stress You Should Not Ignore:
1. Concentrating is almost impossible.
When you’re under chronic stress, concentrating becomes almost impossible. You have a hard time figuring out what it is you need to do to make things better, and overall can’t get your mind to stop rushing. It’s like the more you try to relax, the harder relaxing becomes.
2. Getting the sleep you need is almost impossible.
Because you’re unable to calm your mind, you’re also unable to get the sleep that you need. You find yourself staying up a lot more than you should and when you do sleep your sleep quality has suffered tremendously. It’s like even when you’re getting rest, it’s not the right kind of rest.
3. You’re experiencing frequent headaches.
Chronic stress takes a toll on our bodies, even if it is more or less in our minds. It can cause tension headaches and things of that nature. The more frequent they are, the heavier the burdens we’re facing are weighing on us.
4. You feel very much out of control.
When you’re going through chronic stress, everything feels out of control. The more control you seek, the harder it becomes to find. Figuring out a means of letting go of the things bothering you isn’t easy.
5. Your body aches for seemingly ‘no reason.’
Again, when you’re going through chronic stress your body suffers as your mind does as well. You will face aches and pains that you otherwise would not have a reason to be experiencing. The more aware you are of this, the better.