Symptoms of Stress
The following are common symptoms of long term stress. These are
possible signs that chronic stress is beginning to take its toll.
This list might best be used to identify those symptoms that you
manifest when stressed. Once identified, these can be used as warning
flags to indicate that you may need to re-examine your stress levels
and take appropriate action.
Mental Symptoms:
These include negativity, worry, anticipating negative
events, imagining worse outcomes, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness,
mental confusion, indecision, reduced judgement, and irrationality.
Emotional Symptoms:
These include anxiety and fear, feeling tense, irritability,
restlessness, depression, frustration, impatience, hostility, poor
motivation, loss of interest in fun activities, crying spells, feeling
out of control, feeling overwhelmed by events, and feeling helpless.
Social Symptoms:
These include seeking out others for support, social
withdrawal, strained personal relationships, strained work relationships,
lowered patience with others, being critical of others, acting aggressively,
and becoming defensive easily.
Spiritual Symptoms:
These include spiritual doubts, spiritual resentments,
lapses in spiritual practices, and spiritual escapism.
Behavioural Symptoms:
These include avoidance of tasks, talking too fast
or too loud, reduce effectiveness at work, difficulty getting things
done, fidgeting, nail biting, clenched jaw, clenched fists, tapping
feet or fingers, changes in eating habits, increased smoking, increased
drinking, making more mistakes, escape into distractions, relying
on medications, being more accident prone, increased absenteeism,
neglect of personal hygiene.
Physical Symptoms:
These include stiff or sore muscles, grinding teeth,
frequent colds, headaches, asthma flare ups, back pain, dizziness
/ faintness, nausea, skin eruptions, digestive problems, constipation,
loss of interest in sex, fatigue / tiredness, shakiness, change
in appetite, weight loss or gain, poor breathing / breath holding,
stomach turning over, sleep difficulties.
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