Life is a balance of every element, including stress. But when stress increases, you’ll notice how imbalanced other aspects get. Mood swings, relationship problems and inability to concentrate are a few to name. You might be so busy and unaware that you may not even notice it creep into your life. Or you might feel a little different and convince yourself that it is normal. But, stop and ponder! Do you feel agitated? Do you happen to feel lonely and snap at people? Well, chances are, you’re exposed to high levels of stress and need different mechanisms to combat it. Why? Because stress can give rise to anxiety and depression if left unchecked.
A large chunk of the population suffers from anxiety and depression. To put it in simple words, depression is when you feel sad for no specific reason. You start losing interest in activities. You also start believing that the outcome of everything you do will be negative. Anxiety refers to experiencing a constant state of fear. Even the smallest task will result in a heightened sense of worry. There are certain behaviours and emotions that you exhibit when you’re stressed. If it is short-lived, it’s not harmful. Yet, if the stress is persistent, there could be a necessity for you to seek help.
So are you wondering how to gauge if you are stressed or not? There are certain behaviours and emotions that you exhibit when you’re stressed. If it is short-lived, it’s not harmful. Yet, if the stress is persistent, there could be a necessity for you to seek help.
The 4 major symptoms of stress include:
-Emotional
-Cognitive
-Physical
-Behavioural
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Emotional
When there is a constant exposure to stress, our emotional well-being goes for a toss. Here are some ways in which you’ll know whether stress is taking an excessive toll on you.
2. Cognitive
Anything associated with our thought process is cognition. Stress interrupts our logical thinking. This makes it difficult to arrive at conclusions about important discussions. Some other symptoms include:
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Physical
The physical symptoms will make it easier for you to examine the extent to which stress affects you. Some of them are:
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Behavioural
Behavioural tendencies are one of the first cues you can pick up to examine whether you need to seek help. Frequent nervous break drowns are one of the most extreme signs of behavioural change because of stress. Other symptoms include:
Mental disorders and stress have a strong association. According to the University Of California, Berkely, exposure to chronic stress leads to alterations in the brain. Therefore, if you happen to be stressed and relate to the above-mentioned signs, you definitely need to seek help.
The intensity of these disorders increases with time. Counselors suggest that seeking prior help is essential. It will help you tackle with the disorder during its mild stage. Mental disorders are real, and it’s time you stopped ignoring it!
Wondering how stressed you actually are? Take this quiz to find out more.
Feeling overwhelmed? Here’s how you can seek help.
