Stress impacts on every part of the human function.
If you are experiencing a few of the below than this is indication of stress or an imbalance in your body.
Thoughts
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Memory difficulties
- Difficulty in making decisions
- Frequent forgetfulness
- Increased sensitivty to criticism
- Negative self – critical thoughts
- Distorted ideas
- More rigid attitudes
- Loss of sense of humour
Emotions
- Anxiety (nervousness, tension, phobias, panic)
- Depression (sadness, lowered self – esteem, apathy, fatigue)
- Guilt and shame
- Moodiness (mood swings), loneliness and jealousy
- Suppressed anger
- Inability to feel sympathy or empathy to others
Behaviour
- Difficulty sleeping
- Early waking
- Emotional outbursts
- Aggression
- Irritability
- Overeating or loss of appetite
- Excessive use if alcohol and drugs
- Excessive smoking/drug taking
- Accident proneness/trembling
- Avoiding particular situations inactivity or inability to sit without fidgeting
- Constant tiredness
- Self harm and harm to others
Body
- Increased heart rate
- High blood pressure
- Difficulty swallowing
- Difficulty breathing
- Feelings of nausea
- Hyperventilation
- Tense, contracted muscles, nervous twitches
- Backache
- Immune systems less efficient
- Hot and cold flushes
- Blushing
- Sweating
- Skin dryness, rashes, numbness
- Tingling sensations
- Increased blood sugar levels
- Dilation of pupils, dry mouth
- Frequent urination
Health
- Excessive concern about own physical health
- Increased susceptibility to illness
- Coronary heart disease
- Stomach ulcers; nausea, irritable bowel syndrome
- Migraine; headaches
- Asthma; hay fever
- Skin rashes
- Irregular menstruation
- Diarrhoea
Work
- Distancing from customers and colleagues
- Avoidance of customers
- Lack of concentration, leading to poor decision making & mistakes
- Poor memory leading to mistakes
- Absenteeism
- Impaired ability to make decisions and care for customers
- Poor interpersonal relationships
( Cooper C. and Cartwright S. “Mental Health and Stress in Work Place”: A Guide for Employees” 1996.)
Read up on how you can be helped if you identify with any the above here:
See our Stress Management Pages for more information.