Recognising The Symptoms of Stress & Effective Coping Mechanisms

Stress is a very natural part of life; the focus of this article is to raise awareness to a wide array of stress related symptoms and how to manage them effectively. Mainly there are two types of stress – emotional and physical.

Examples of emotional stress are relationship problems, major life changes, discrimination, financial difficulties and work-related difficulties. Examples of physical stresses include alcohol and drug abuse, recovering from injury or surgery, lack of sleep, experiencing pain and being ill.

Types of Symptoms of Stress

Excess or chronic stress may produce a wide spectrum of symptoms, and affect different parts of our body’s systems:

Cognitive Symptoms of Stress:

Difficulty making decisions
Racing thoughts
Poor judgement
Difficulty remembering information, both recent events and specific details
Difficulty concentrating and maintaining focus
Confusion and disorientation
Impulsivity and indecisiveness

Emotional Symptoms of Stress:

Feelings of hopelessness and loneliness
Apathy and dissatisfaction – less interest in activities that are usually enjoyable
Depression and mood swings
Frequent irritability
Unexplained and irrational fears
Feeling overloaded and overwhelmed

Behavioural Symptoms of Stress:

Excessive recklessness and risk taking
Self-isolation
Sleeping problems or irregular sleep
Increased nervous habits
Hyperactivity
Tardiness
Losing your temper easily
Overeating and overindulgence

Physical Symptoms of Stress:

Cold hands and feet
Skin conditions
Nervous tics or twitches
Shortness of breath
High blood pressure
Muscle tightness and tension
Migraines
Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar)
Irregular appetite

7 Beneficial Habits to Combat Stress

Let us delve deeper into some proven, very helpful habits and routines to cope with stress:

Practice meditation and mindfulness

Use breathing techniques combined with positive imagery and thoughts.
Incorporate a positive daily practice into your routine

Make a list of activities that you enjoy and start taking time every week to incorporate more joy into your life; walking the dog, playing golf, taking a road trip, reading a book, etc.
Plan ahead

As the saying goes “failure to plan is planning to fail”. To the person that is chronically stressed, simple concerns and daily struggles may cause an unusual amount of anxiety. Planning will also give you a greater sense of control, allowing you to make decisions more effectively on the day.
Sleep well

Aim for a minimum of 7 hours sleep every day. Eight hours is the perfect number according to sleep experts. Try and keep your sleep and wake time constant and keep your room dark and cool. Try to avoid bright lights before bed, because bright lights at the wrong time of day will negatively affect the circadian rhythms of your body. Background noise has shown to be very effective in allowing you to sleep deeper – experiment with different sounds using an app on your phone, like sounds of waves crashing, raindrops, or even something as simple as a fan.
Spend more time with uplifting and positive people

Take part in activities with these individuals that bring joy to your life. Schedule more coffee dates and dinners with people important to you. Why not participate in a group activity like group classes at Urban Wellbeing or charity events? The benefits are enormous.
Stay hydrated, eat nutritionally dense and balanced foods

Nutrient imbalances may contribute to anxiety and stress levels. For example, a magnesium deficiency may make you feel fatigued and unable to concentrate well, low blood sugar may make you feel irritable and high blood sugar will make you feel sluggish.
Exercise regularly

Did you know that exercising acutely releases “feel good hormones” known as endorphins? Many psychologists believe the simple act of using our body for exercise is the most underused anti-depressant in the world, and the most accessible.

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