Stress Warning Signs

What are the stress warning signs? Stress affects everyone differently and everyone cope and manage stress differently too. Different level of stress sends out different signals. Stress, if not managed well can lead to malfunctioning of the brain. Are you under stress? Here are the stress warning signs from physical, emotional, mental, and behavioural perspectives. Getting to know these warning signs can help you to rectify the problems and the effects of stress before it goes uncontrollable and affects the people around you.

What Stress Can Affect Your Mind – Mental

• Forgetful, short memory
• Poor concentration
• Confusion and loss of ability to make decisions
• Thoughts of escaping or running away from the problems
• Misunderstanding of what others tell you

What Stress Can Make You Do – Behavioural

• Nervous habits such as nail biting, hair twisting, stammering
• Isolate yourself from others and social activities, including people close to you
• Become violent, acting in a defensive, aggressive or impulsive manner such as arguing with people, exhibiting in road rage.
• Overdo activities such as shopping, eating, sleeping, working or exercising
• Have sex more or less, eat or sleep more or less
• Excessive use of tobacco, alcohol, drugs or caffeine
• Take inappropriate risks
• Withdrawing from social activities

How Stress Can Affect Your Body – Physical

• Headaches, migraine, stomach aches
• Sleep disturbance
• Muscle tense and pain
• Loss of appetite or overeating
• High blood pressure
• Hair loss
• Asthma or shortness of breath
• Missed periods
• Sweaty palms
• Weight loss or gain
• Chronic fatigue
• Immune system suppression
• Skin problems
• Periodontal disease

Assess Your Stress Level Using The Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale

After understanding the stress warning signs, would you like to know how much are you under stress? Here is the Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale.

Sum up all the numbers, if the totals are more than 300, it indicates that you are under heavy stress. Destress yourself or you may fall ill.

Normally, yoour body's immune system can help your body to heal itself under optimal conditions. The problems begin when the body is damaged due to long term release of stress hormone. Your body will send out stress warning signs and once you realize them, you need to keep the stress within the limit. Visit following to learn more about stress and how to cope with it.