What is stress? And what are the physical and emotional signs of stress? When it comes to dealing with stress and stress management, it's important to recognize the signs first.
Video by Psych2Go
Key Takeaways
What is stress? And what are the physical and emotional signs of stress? When it comes to dealing with stress and stress management, it’s important to recognize the signs first.
Listen to your body. It gives many signals that show you it’s time to destress. Sometimes you may think you’re not stressed, but your body can tell you otherwise!
1. Your Appetite Changes, Making Unhealthier Eating Choices
You may start eating irregularly—whether that is overeating or under eating.
- A study by Candia Lake Jones and Meyer on 272 female college students revealed that 81% had a change in appetite when stressed.
- While 80% of the students reported that they made healthy eating choices regularly, only 1/3 of them ate healthy when stressed.
- People who ate more when stressed, chose foods that were significantly sweeter or greasier than their usual choices.
2. You Experienced Digestive Issues
Has there been a time when you had digestion issues out of the blue? Your digestive system may also work against you regardless of what you eat. Even if you eat healthy, stress can cause issues such as stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation and more. Maybe it’s not the foods fault your tummy feels funny. It could mean that you’re stressed.
3. You Feel All Sorts of Negative Feelings
You may feel all sorts of tension, restlessness, and even depression. Stress impacts muscle tension and mood. It can be why you feel anxious, irritable, overwhelmed, sad, or depressed.
- A study found significant associations of acute and chronic stress with depression.
- While stress doesn’t necessarily cause depression, it can be a possible factor as stress dysregulates bodily functions and moods.
4. You Experience Sleep Issues and Low-Energy
Are you having a hard time with sleep lately?
- A study on 2,316 people showed that those experiencing more stressful events had a higher risk of insomnia.
- Continuously having poor sleep may make you feel sluggish during the day.
- The change in eating habits mentioned before may also contribute to low blood sugar leading to feelings of low energy.
5. Deep Breathing Can Become Difficult
Stress and strong emotions can cause the breathing airway to constrict, resulting in symptoms such as shortness of breath, and rapid breathing, almost like panting.
- Some studies show that acute stress can actually cause an asthma attack or a panic attack.
6. Cravings for Substance Misuse Become Stronger
Like food, substances may cause temporary immediate satisfaction in the brain so you feel better. However, abusing anything you intake can have devastating consequences, such as excessively consuming alcohol or nicotine.
Are you craving substances or even unhealthy food more than normal? It may be a sign that you’re stressed.
We can see that all these physical symptoms impact each other. Impact your mood and impact your behavior. If you notice that you’re experiencing several of these symptoms mentioned, it may be your body telling you to take a break.
Be sure to take care of yourself and get the rest you need. After all, you only have one body and all your bodily systems affect one another. How do you distress?