Signs and symptoms of stress
Stress affects us all in some way. Optimal stress is largely healthy, but when it interrupts our lives, it becomes a problem. If someone is overly stressed, they may experience anxiety, nervous tension and other physical and emotional consequences. Managing your stress is critical, not only for your mental health but also for your physical health.
Common situations that can cause unhealthy stress levels
- Financial problems
- Problems in relationships
- Problems with family and kids
- Problems at work
- Life-changing events
- Constant time-pressure
For the early man in the Stone Age, the body’s automatic alarm system was absolutely necessary for survival. But during that time, man only experienced short periods of stress peaks, such as in life threatening situations. When the danger was over, the stress level and body returned to a normal state. Today, more and more people experience an increased stress level for long periods of time. This is where it gets problematic.
If you experience stress over a long period, this severely harms your body. This is primarily because your body never gets time to fully recover, which can make you ill. Your immune system is compromised and you are more likely to develop infections or suffer from a heart attack, stroke, depression, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Common emotional and behavioral signs and symptoms of stress
- You feel tired during the day, even though you have had sufficient sleep..
- You feel low and worried and do not care about what is going on around you.
- You react in a completely new way to everyday events.
- You are easily annoyed and impatient even over the smallest things.
- You have problems concentrating and easily forget things.
- You are not getting enough sleep/you have difficulties falling asleep/you wake up and cannot go back to sleep.
- You constantly feel agitated and find it impossible to relax.
- You eat more or less than you usually do.
- You consume alcohol, drugs and/or medication to make you calm.
Common physical signs and symptoms of stress
- Headaches
- Stomach ache
- Increased heart rate
- Feeling nauseous and dizzy
- Decreased interest in sexual activities
Further reading: Overcome your unhealthy stress with online therapy.
If you suffer from any of the symptoms described above, we recommend that you take this test. Evaluate the statements and select the option that you feel best reflects the way you have felt for the past two weeks. The test is, of course, anonymous and free (see our privacy policy).
This stress test is not to be seen as a final diagnosis. If you are uncertain about your result, we suggest that you get professional help as soon as possible.
3L HEALING 