Stress to death
How things suck?
Here is the checklist.
Symptoms of Stress
Explanations > Stress > Symptoms of stress
Emotional/cognitive symptoms | Physical symptoms | Autonomic nervous system | So what?
Stress affects us all. If you can spot the symptoms, you can manage them.
Do note, of course, that these symptoms may also be indicators of other things. (If in doubt, consult you doctor...).
Note also that a stressed person is unlikely to experience all of these symptoms and that even one can be a sign of stress.
Emotional/cognitive symptoms
•••Emotional and cognitive symptoms of stress include:
Feeling irritable
Feeling frustrated at having to wait for something
Feeling restless
Unable to concentrate
Becoming easily confused
Having memory problems
Thinking about negative things all the time
Negative self-talk
Having marked mood swings
Eating too much
Eating when you are not hungry
Finding it difficult to concentrate
Not having enough energy to get things done
Feeling you can't cope
Finding it hard to make decisions
Having emotional outbursts
Generally feeling upset
Lack of sense of humor
•••Physical symptoms
Physical symptoms of stress include:
Muscle tension
Low back pain
Pains in shoulders or neck
Pains in chest
Stomach/abdominal pain
Muscle spasms or nervous tics
Unexplained rashes or skin irritations
'Pounding' or 'racing' heart
Sweaty palms
Sweating when not physically active
'Butterflies' in stomach
Indigestion and 'the gurgles'
Diarrhea
Unable to sleep or excessive sleep
Shortness of breath
Holding breath
Muscles work in opposing pairs, with movement caused when one contracts whilst the other relaxes. Stress can result in both muscles working at once. There is thus no movement, but still muscular tension.
•••Autonomic nervous system
We have an involuntary nervous system called the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), which contains two types of nerves.
Parasympathetic nerves conserve energy and keep the systems in a relatively resting state.
Sympathetic nerves prepare the body for action thorugh the Fight-or-Flight reaction.
Thus it is the sympathetic system that is affected by stress.
So what?
Watch out for your own stress, and help others reduce theirs.
If you are using stress to persuade, watch for these symptoms as indication of your success. Beware of over-stressing people and creating a Fight-or-flight reaction.
See also
Fight-or-Flight reaction, General Adaptation Syndrome, Emotions
P.S. I have it all. :( even the "gurgles", the most recent of all