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How many times we use the word “stress” and how many times we hear about “stress”? But do you know what exactly means stress and what are signs of stress?
Signs of stress could vary enormously among different women. There are few groups of stress signs – cognitive, emotional, physical and behavioral. You can discover all signs of stress if carefully evaluate your feelings, thoughts, body reactions and behavior changes. But not all discovered signs would mean “signs of stress” – some symptoms could be a result of other medical and/or psychological conditions.
Body reactions to stress also could be different - the experience of stress is highly individualized. Some factors which trigger overwhelming stress for one woman may not be perceived as stress by another woman. At the same time signs of stress could be absolutely different in different women – some could start smoking because of family conflicts and others could think about suicide for same family conflicts.
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Once you face the stress, the signs of stress build up gradually before you start to notice them. It is important to learn how stress affects your body because it will help you to choose how to cope with stressful situations and figure out what coping techniques work best for you in stressful situations. Good knowledge of stress signs could also enable you to avoid resorting to unhealthy habits, such as smoking, drinking, comfort-eating and/or using drugs.
Stress can affect how you feel, how you think, how you behave and how your body works and it is very useful to evaluate your feelings, thoughts, body reactions and behavior changes.
STRESS - What to be evaluated in your feelings:
Mood swings (moodiness, sadness, apathy);
Irritability and intolerance of minor disturbing factors;
Impatience and easy anger;
Depression (low in self-esteem, low in mood, unhappiness);
Sense of loneliness and isolation;
Anxiety or panic attacks;
Permanent feeling of being pressured hassled and hurried;
Inability to rest and relax;
Feeling jumpy or exhausted all the time
Mental fatigue;
Worry constantly;
Low self-esteem;
Feeling overwhelmed.
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STRESS - What to be evaluated in your thoughts:
Imagining the worst and seeing only the negative;
Poor judgment;
Anxious or having racing thoughts;
Permanently thinking about things - go over and over things;
Losing temper or short temper;
Loosing interests and/or lack of interest.
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STRESS - What to be evaluated in your body reactions:
Rapid breathing or breathlessness;
Diarrhea or constipation;
Stomach problems (upset stomach, stomach pain, digestive problems);
Heart beating rapidly or chest pain or racing heart;
Allergic reactions (eczema, psoriasis or asthma);
Increased in blood pressure;
Sleep problems (sleeplessness or too much sleep);
Increased sweating and sweaty palms;
Cold hands and feet, Oily skin;
Muscle tension and pain;
Headaches;
Back, neck and shoulder pain;
Bowel or bladder problems;
Loss of sex drive and/or sexual problems;
Dry mouth and Grinding teeth;
Unexpected skin itching;
Nausea and dizziness;
Frequent colds and Jaw clenching.
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STRESS - What to be evaluated in your behavior:
Excessive use of alcohol and/or drugs;
Start smoking or too much smoking;
Sleeping too much or too little;
Changed eating habits (eating too much, refusing food, binge eating);
Food addiction (fatty, sugary snacks);
Reckless risky driving;
Isolating yourself from friends, family member and colleagues;
Avoiding social contact;
Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, blinking, pacing, finger trembling, etc.);
Easily crying and/or overreacting;
Losing your temper easily;
Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities;
Outbursts of anger;
Ignoring daily hygiene, poor hygiene;
Loosing interests (poor performance in the office, ignoring favorite hobbies);
Talking too much or talking very fast;
Becoming unreasonable, clumsy and forgetful.
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Most common signs of stress
Menstrual dysfunctions
Very often women miss their regular periods because of stress. Actually the stress is one of main causes for irregular periods. During stress women body produce endorphins which inhibit the release of reproductive hormones and changed hormonal balance is the reason for missed and/or irregular periods.
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) or Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
Premenstrual Syndrome is another body reaction to the stress in women – actually all symptoms of the PMS are warning signals which “tell” that there is something wrong in women body. Stress can upset hormonal balance and nervous system and body is reacting with PMS symptoms and/or PMDD symptoms.
Cravings
Stress could cause loss of appetite but under stress you can satisfy your body by eating the food you crave – sweets, cakes, chocolate, junk foods (even in big portions). Binge eating and food addiction could be very typical sign of stress.
“Upset” Stomach
It was noted the natural waving movement in the muscles of the gut that carries food along works overtime or slows down when you are under stress, and this can lead to stomach pain and diarrhoea or alternating constipation. Some women don’t digest food during stress or don’t digest certain products. Sometimes the previously harmless foods can trigger stomach problems (unexpected chemical reaction in the stomach) – bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation. It also should be noted that long-term stress can be a cause of stomach diseases.
Cuts and bruises
Sometimes women discover marks and/or bruises on their bodies without knowing or remembering any injuries. Actually cuts and bruises could happen during stress – during stress body produce endorphins (body's natural pain relievers), so that an occasional trauma can go unnoticed.
Hair loss
Recently was discovered that stress can alter the uptake of certain trace elements and amino acids essential for hair growth. It was also noted that high stress levels can increase levels of hormone prolactin in women and this appears to influence the uptake of testosterone and its metabolism. In women susceptible to hair loss, this can lead to thinning. Stress can also cause narrowing of the arteries, restricting blood flow to the scalp.
Itching
Many years ago it was noted that stress could trigger eczema, psoriasis or skin allergic reactions. When you are in stress, blood flow is diverted away from the skin towards the vital organs and this can exacerbate existing allergies and rashes. Stress can also trigger the release of histamine, the chemical implicated in causing allergic reactions.
“Stressed” skin
Some experts call the skin “mirror of internal organs”. At the same time, it is well known that skin is the largest and most visible organ of our body. Skin is reacting to the stress very quickly by changing color in certain places (becoming red or white/pearl), by producing acne, by triggering flushes or rushes. Generally speaking, if your skin tends to be dry, stress makes it drier and if you are inclined to spots, stress will bring them out.
Chest pain and palpitations
During stress our body is usually lacking energy, oxygen, essential nutrients which are very important for normal functioning of immune system, cardio-vascular system, breathing system and brain. As a result, the stress restricts breathing, increase blood pressure, change heart beats and heart rate (making it irregular). Women in stress could have chect pain and/or palpitation.
Eyelid spasms
The eyelids contain a large number of sensory nerves and they are one of the body's last areas to relax. Muscular spasms are caused by a build-up of lactic acid. When women are stressed they breathe badly and lactic acid (naturally occurring waste product in the body) is not leaving body. This can also lead to stiffness in the neck and shoulders.
“Ringing” ears
“Ringing” ears are known as warning/protesting signals of your body – response to the stress. In its normal state the ear sends a stream of nerve impulses to the brain which are interpreted by brain centers as sound. But stress can be the trigger that makes the ear sends the abnormal stream of impulses which the brain interprets as tinnitus. This is how women in stress could feel “ringing” in ears.
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10 Days to Stress Free Life
The Art of Stress Free Life
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