SYMPTOMS OF STRESS: ARE YOU SECRETLY STRESSED?

April 25, 2019

Pittsburgh Fitness Project

Stress is so normalized in today’s society that it seems we have almost forgotten what it is like to not be stressed. There is such a culture of overworking and pushing ourselves, even to the point where it is praised. This makes us forget that being stressed is not actually a state in which our bodies thrive. We do need a healthy amount of activity and challenge in our lives, of course, but overworking and pushing ourselves too much can be counterproductive.

HOW CAN WE TELL WHEN WE ARE STRESSED?

So how can we tell when we are actually stressed to the point of being unhealthy? The following is a list of warning signs that your body may be giving you that it is overstressed. Please note this list is not comprehensive, as you can have other symptoms from stress other than the many that are listed below.

● Chronic Fatigue

● Lack of motivation, even for activities that you usually like to do

● Irritability

● Being unusually emotional

● Disruption in sleeping (not being able to fall asleep, oversleeping, waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall asleep again, being tired all day but suddenly wide awake when you get into bed, etc.)

● Exhaustion and burnout

● Heart pounding, excess sweating

● Rapid weight loss/gain

● Anxiety or depression – talk to a doctor if you think you have either of these, they can come on or be intensified with stress

● Inflammation in your body

Stay tuned for the next post about daily practices to overcome stress! In the meantime, if stress is something you would like to work on, then book a free consultation with our Holistic Lifestyle Coach, Em, to start working on reducing stress in your life.