Significant Signs: How Do You Know If You Are Suffering From Stress?

Each person handles stress in his or her own unique way.  Situations that appear stressful to one person may not be stressful to the next person.  A major change in lifestyle such as buying a house or changing jobs may create stress for one person, while another person may see it as a welcome change.  The key is to finding your own tolerance level and working within that level to live with the stress that comes your way.

Stress causes both physical and emotional problems; it affects your peace of mind, your personal relationships, and your career.  If you are experiencing more stress than you can handle, it can cause problems such as insomnia, headaches, backaches, and contribute to heart disease and high blood pressure.

Stress can be in the form of both mental and physical stress.  Much of our stress is caused by every-day events and responsibilities.  When your body experiences stress, your muscles tense, blood pressure goes up, your heart rate and metabolism increases.  This happens to help your body react to a stressful problem.

You may suffer stress if you are being unrealistic in your goals and expectations for yourself.  Be realistic; know your capabilities and your limits.  Don’t take on any more than you can comfortably handle.  Learn to delegate duty and know what you can change and what you can’t change.

Another way to know if you are suffering from stress is to ask yourself if you are expecting too much of yourself.  Are you feeling like you are expected to be superman or superwoman?  Be sure if you have deadlines, you set deadlines that are reasonable to meet.

If you haven’t had trouble with sleeping habits before and suddenly you can’t go to sleep, or you wake up and don’t feel rested, that may be a sign of stress.

You may be suffering from stress if your blood pressure becomes a problem, if you have unexplained chest pains, or if you have change in your gastrointestinal functions.

All of these may be warning signs that you are experiencing too much stress.  Stress can cause physical and mental problems.  If you find you are under too much stress, you need to take steps now to find ways of reducing the stress in your life.

Learn new lifestyle habits to reduce your stress and have a healthier life.  Take time for a hobby, take a walk and enjoy the sensation of the warm sun on your face, the smell of flowers, and feel the warm breeze.  Change eating habits to include healthy foods low in saturated fats and processed sugars.  Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, foods high in bran and consume less processed flour.

If you are feeling under stress, be prepared to talk it out with someone.  A good friend, spouse, minister, or professional therapist may help you put your problems into perspective.

Be flexible; give in once in a while to help tension and pressure between family and friends.  Constant opposition can cause chronic stress and lead to many physical and mental problems.