SIGNS OF STRESS

Physiological signs of stress include

• Increased cholesterol level in the blood (detected by laboratory results)
• High Blood pressure
• Rapid pulse
• Loss of appetite
• Tendency to over react (especially in response to stressful situations)
• Queasiness in the stomach (butterflies)
• Nausea
• Heartburn
• Eyestrain
• Fluttering motions of the eyes
• Tightened muscles in the neck and jaw
• Grinding of the teeth
• Clenching of the jaw
• Cold hands
• Sweating palms
• Contractions and tightness of general body muscles
• Jerky movement
• Irregular or shallow breathing
• Strained voice, often becoming high-pitched
• Hunching posture (resulting from excessive tightening of shoulder muscles)
• Rigid spine, preventing fluid movement
• Tight forehead muscles, causing change in facial expression
• Contraction of muscles in fingers an toes, causing them to curl
• Headache
• Twitching and trembling
• Dryness of mouth
• Lack of interest in sex
• Frigidity
• Impotence
• Mental disorders
• Nervousness (including the tendency to be frightened or startled easily)
• Excessive belching
• Chronic diarrhea
• Chronic constipation
• Chronic indigestion (including belching, heartburn, and nausea)
• Weakness and fatigue
• Dizziness
• Tendency to faint easily
• Fainting spell preceded by nausea
• Difficulty in falling asleep
• Inability to remain asleep during the night
• Inability to sit still
• Tendency to tire easily
• Muscle spasms
• Feeling of fullness without eating
• Inability to cry
• Tendency to burst into tears at slight provocation or for no reason at all

Mental symptoms of stress include
 

• Depression Irritability
• The desire to escape from people or things or situations
• Strong urge to cry
• Impulsive behaviour that is incompatible with normal patterns of behaviour
• Feelings of anxiety, sometimes vague or ill-defined
• Inability to think clearly
• Inability to make simple decisions
• Inability to solve simple problems
• Lack of desire to participate fully in life
• Feelings of self-destruction
• Impatience
• Tendency to be extremely critical of others
• Meticulousness about surroundings and possessions
• Tendency to be perfectionist
• Tendency to lose temper
• Inability to relax physically
• Feelings of mild panic
• Frustration and concern over health (especially worries over minor aches and pains)
• Fear of death
• Fear of disease (especially cancer)
• Fear of insanity or mental illness
• Fear of being alone
• Inability to cope with criticism
• Inability to get along with others
• Inability to concentrate
• Feeling of separation or removal from people and things once important and trivial
• Tendency to live mostly in past
• Boredom
• Feeling of inability to cope with problems and frustrations
• Inability to freely express emotion, especially anger
• Feeling of rejection by family members’
• Feeling of failure as a parent
• Inability to confide problems or concerns in another person

The number of symptoms you experience consistently from day to day can be an important indicator of your stress levels.