Knowledge Base - Stress
Symptoms of Stress
Stress, at the correct level, is a good thing, but when the levels get too high the results can be damaging for our physical or mental health and for relationships.
Some early signs of too much stress can include:
- Headache
- Disturbed sleep and tiredness
- Concentration difficulties
- Difficulty remembering
- Bad tempered, Irritability or Moody
- Stomach upsets
- Unhappy at work
- Poor morale
- Depression
- Over Sensitive to criticism
- Signs of Tension
- Reduced or loss of sex drive
- High blood pressure
It can also cause negative feelings such as:
- Difficulty in trusting others
- Feelings of Anger
- Anxiety attacks
- Irrational fear
...which in turn can destroy relationships at home and at work.
Stress is part of life and not a weakness, it's perfectly normal and part of being human. It's important, however, to learn how to recognise the causes of stress symptoms and how to deal with them.
What kind of situations can cause stress?
Common situations that may lead to stress:
- Loss of loved one
- Bereavement
- Traumatic accident
- Divorce or separation
- A child leaving home
- Long-term illness and disability
- Marriage
- Moving house
- New job
- Problems at work
- Family responsibilities
Helping yourself to relieve stress
The secret of managing stress is to look after yourself and, where possible, to remove some of the causes of stress.
Some ways to cope with stress:
By Yourself
- Do one thing at a time
- Don't expect too much of yourself
- Do things you enjoy
- Use relaxation techniques
- Take good care of yourself
- Manage your time
With Others
- Accept and learn to ask for help
- Talk to someone
- Spend time with people who don't criticise
- Make friends, people you can confide in
- Learn how to say no, politely but firmly
A relaxing bath and pampering yourself even if for only a short time, can work wonders, leaving you feeling relaxed and ready for a good nights sleep and waking up refreshed, revitalised and ready to tackle the day ahead.
Homemade Remedies ยป
You can find a few ideas for Relaxation bath recipes in our Homemade Remedies section
Negative stress-management techniques to avoid
In order to cope with their stress, many people look to things which are not only ineffective but also unhealthy.
- drinking alcohol (it changes your mood, not your problem)
- denying the problem (the problem will remain)
- taking drugs (including stimulants such as caffeine or pain medication)
- overeating (binge-eating, poor diets)
- smoking cigarettes