Your Body’s SOS: Recognising the Signs of Stress

I am so stressed…work is stressful. Uhh I need some rest, that dinner was so stressful. Why can’t I find some peace? It seems like all we talk about these days is stress and being stressed. But why do we only realise it when stress has become a constant presence? Is there a way to know we are stressed before we are bogged down by it? 

To begin with, what is stress? Yes, it is the pressure of deadlines, problems in personal relationships, or the burden of financial obligations, and an uninvited presence…but what is it really? It is the state of worry caused by a difficult situation. Not the life ending phenomenon we keep making it to be. And actually, stress is helpful as well. Stress gives you the motivation to work on the difficult situation and to resolve it. Honestly, that’s the simplest stress relief technique - solve the problem and boom; stress is gone. But when it’s  a constant presence in your life, it kills your soul. Which is why the body has many signs of stress for you to recognise as its SOS. 

The Classic Fight and Flight Chase

One of the most well known signs of stress is the fight or flight response - the body’s way of signalling danger the first time. For those who haven’t heard about this at all, think about how you feel before giving a speech. You either feel prepared to take over the stage or you want to escape the whole thing. In both these cases, your body needs to be prepared physically to deal with the stressful speech. To do that, the body releases hormones - cortisol and epinephrine - that send the message “We’re in danger, save energy to run.” And that’s your first sign right there - when you are worried about a situation right in front of you - the worry about the danger. 

The Chase is Not Over…

As you’ve just seen, being worried is normal and even safe. Then when does the problem start? It’s when the worry doesn’t go - it becomes chronic stress - and becomes a source of distress for you instead of the productive eustress (the good stress). This means that your body is constantly in the fight or flight chase; it is trying to save energy and prepare for danger 24/7. This constant alert state means a raised heart rate, blood pressure, impact on your immune system and overall well being. It tires your body. But all this is happening inside, how does it look like for you on the outside? That’s where the signs of stress come in. 

The SOS signals 

In times of chronic stress, due to the prolonged aroused state the body is tired in more ways than one. Some of the changes you can see are in your physical health, your mood, and your behaviour. These changes can be different for different people, and can vary in the intensity with which they are experienced. However, the idea is that there is a malfunction in your body which means you will not feel okay most of the time. When checking for signs of stress, remember being STRESSED:

S - Sleep disturbances

T - Tension in any body part (shoulders, chest)

R - Restlessness

E - Emotional changes (irritation, anger, sadness)

S - Social withdrawal

S - Somatic symptoms (headaches, stomach aches, weakness)

E - Excessive worry

D - Difficulty concentrating

Even apart from these, anything that is out of the ordinary for you and your lifestyle; happening for a significant time period and impacting your well being negatively, can be a sign of stress. Once you have recognised these signs, it's time to learn what to do - stress management techniques to help you cope and eliminate the chronic stress from your body. 

Calming the Chaos

Just like the principle behind identifying stress was identifying anything chaotic in your calm like, the principle behind stress management is finding the calm back whichever way you can. The ultimate goal is to release newer hormones such as endorphins that reduce stress and undo the impact of adrenaline and epinephrine. So in figuring out your stress management techniques remember PEACE:

P - Practice mindfulness in any form

E - Exercise regularly

A - Adequate sleep 

C - Connect with others

E - Eat healthy

Of course this article is not an exhaustive list of the signs of stress or the ways of coping with stress. If you think you need to understand more about yourself and manage your stress better, there are several other things you can do. Just remember to be observant and listen to the smallest signs of your body. In case managing stress is hard by yourself, feel free to reach out to people - both your social support and professional therapists if required. So the next time you are worried, remember the acronyms STRESSED and PEACE and check yourselves with them for better wellbeing.