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stress and relaxation
Stress symptoms may be affecting your health, even though you might not realize it. You may think illness is to blame for that nagging headache, your frequent forgetfulness or your decreased productivity at work. But sometimes stress is to blame. Indeed, stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior. When you recognize common stress symptoms, you can take steps to manage them.
Possible effects of stress:
On your body
- Headache
- Back pain
- Chest pain
- Heart disease
- Heart palpitations
- High blood pressure
- Decreased immunity
- Upset stomach
- Sleep problems
On your thoughts and feelings
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Worrying
- Irritability
- Depression
- Sadness
- Anger
- Feeling insecure
- Lack of focus
- Burnout
- Forgetfulness
On your behavior
- Overeating
- Undereating
- Angry outbursts
- Drug or alcohol abuse
- Increased smoking
- Social withdrawal
- Crying spells
- Relationship conflicts
Of course, other potentially serious health problems also can cause some of these symptoms. If you're not sure if stress is the cause, or if you've taken steps to control your stress but symptoms continue, seeyour doctor. Also, if you have chest pain, especially if it occurs during physical activity or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, nausea or pain radiating into your shoulder and arm, get emergency help immediately. These signs and symptoms may indicate a heart attack and not simply stress symptoms.
Coping with stress
If you do have stress symptoms, taking steps to manage them can have numerous health benefits. Try some or all of the following healthy behaviors:
- Regularly practice healthy stress-management skills. Key areas to evaluate and improve include sleep hygiene, nutrition, exercise and relaxation.
- Let go of perfectionistic thinking. Strive for excellence rather than perfection. Consider the big picture. Ask yourself, what realistic behavior will help me accomplish my goal? Set realistic expectations for your life and yourself. Pay attention to when and how often you say “I should” or “I ought to” and replace that language with a realistic action instead.
- Nurture yourself, as you would a partner, an aging parent or a child. You must be in good mental and physical health to nurture others. Make a list of pleasurable activities—just for you—that you can consult when it’s time to recharge your batteries, e.g. a long hot bath, devotional reading, listening to the birds.
- Nurture relationships with your partner (if applicable) and friends. Relationships help sustain us because we receive when we give.
- Set your priorities. Evaluate your “pie chart” of life and note what’s out of balance. Only you have the control to make your life what you want it. No one is going to do it for you.
Stress management can include physical activity, relaxation techniques, meditation and yoga. We highly recommend some kind of physical activity that gets the body moving for 30 minutes to an hour every day. It doesn’t have to be “exercise,” per se, and it can be spread out over the day in 10-minute increments.