How to Recognise Stress in Yourself and Others
Stress is an inevitable part of life, but understanding how it manifests can greatly improve our ability to manage it and therefore maintain our mental, emotional and physical health. Below, I outline some of the key physical, behavioural, and emotional signs of stress that can help you recognise when you or someone close to you might need to take a step back and seek support.
Physical Signs of Stress
Experiencing stress can lead directly to noticeable physical symptoms, some of which include:
1. Headaches: Persistent tension headaches or migraines can be a strong indicator of stress.
2. Muscle Tension or Pain: Particularly in the neck and back, muscle discomfort is a common physical response to stress.
3. Fatigue: Excessive tiredness might occur despite getting a normal amount of sleep.
4. Sleep Issues: Problems such as difficulty falling asleep or frequent awakenings are linked to stress.
5. Digestive Problems: Stress can upset your gastrointestinal system, leading to symptoms like nausea and indigestion.
6. Appetite Changes: You might find yourself eating much more, or much less, than usual.
7. Increased Heart Rate: Experiencing a racing heart in the absence of physical exercise.
8. Frequent Colds or Infections: Stress can compromise your immune system, leading to illness.
9. Sexual Dysfunction: This includes changes in desire and performance.
10. Excessive Sweating: Not related to heat or exercise.
Behavioral Signs of Stress
How we act can also signal that we are dealing with high levels of stress. Key behavioral changes to watch for include:
1. Social Withdrawal: Pulling back from friends and activities.
2. Procrastination: Delaying tasks more than usual.
3. Substance Use: Increasing reliance on substances like alcohol or tobacco as coping mechanisms.
4. Nervous Behaviors: Actions such as nail-biting or pacing.
5. Performance at Work: Notable changes in how much or how well tasks are completed.
6. Irritability: Quick to anger in situations that normally wouldn’t provoke such responses.
7. Clumsiness: More frequent minor accidents or mishaps.
8. Eating Habits: Using food for comfort.
9. Neglecting Responsibilities: Overlooking important tasks, both personal and professional.
10. Overcommitting: Keeping busy to avoid dealing with stress.
Emotional Signs of Stress
Stress can deeply affect our emotional state. Some emotional indicators include:
1. Mood Swings: Rapid fluctuations in mood without a clear cause.
2. Irritability and Frustration: Becoming easily frustrated with everyday challenges.
3. Feelings of Overwhelm: A sensation of being swamped or out of control.
4. Anxiety: Persistent, excessive worry.
5. Depression:** Feelings of deep sadness or hopelessness.
6. Lack of Motivation: Loss of interest in usual activities.
7. Emotional Sensitivity: More frequent crying or emotional outbursts.
8. Indecisiveness: Difficulty making decisions.
9. Insecurity: Feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy.
10. Detachment: A sense of disconnection from oneself or reality.
Recognising these signs as indicators of stress is the first step toward managing its impact on your life. Whether through lifestyle adjustments, self-care practices, or seeking professional help, addressing stress effectively can lead to better health and a more balanced life. If you notice many of these signs in yourself or someone else, I would like to help you reduce stress.
Introductions
Hi, I am Hurudza, the founder of the Feeling Fitness. I want you to know that I feel your pain - I have worked in high performance roles and in success and failure I struggled with crippling stress and anxiety.
The Feeling Fitness System was a labour of love aimed at building calm and freedom into my life. It’s taken 10 years to get to this point, that is 9,500 hours of effort and counting.
To get started on your journey to a calmer lower stress life ….
Benefits of Feeling Fitness
so you will quickly - feel lighter, calmer, less pressure, more clarity, more focus and enter flow states more easily.
Enjoy better, deeper sleep, Get your motivation back, handle challenges every time, let setbacks go.
Independence
Feeling Fitness is skills based so your growth is under your control & you don’t need share your feelings or secrets.
Testimonials
Here are a few of my favourite comments from clients …
Communications Executive
“Feeling much better. Much much better!!!”
Marketing Manager
“Really grateful for your programme, I feel like skipping in the street”
Lawyer
“I feel like I have new tools in my arsenal”
Technical Director
“The techniques are simple and they work”
The Process
It is a 3 step process to relieve stress and teach you the skills so you can apply it yourself. It is designed so that relief comes as soon as possible. It all starts with:
Step 1 - Create a personalised plan
Step 2 - Enjoy learning & feeling the skills and tools working for you
Step 3 - Enjoy the feeling of calmer, lower stress life
What do you get?
Step 1 - Create a Personalised Plan
Your Free Stress Assessment of what are the main causes of stress and areas for potential improvement in your stress reduction practices,
A Personalised Roadmap to your goals, where we get to know each other and I can your goals for stress management and we can discuss potential solutions that work with you, and
Guided Stress Relief so you can feel if my approach works for you.
Step 2 - Enjoy Learning & Feeling Your New Skills and Tools Working for You
Personalised 1:1s for specific areas of focus identified in your plan,
In person 1 day Workshop in:
Stress defence techniques,
Stress removal techniques
Natural supplements for stress reduction
How to change your sensory environment for stress reduction
Supporting reading materials
Supporting tools
and we offer ongoing support, accountability, tools and coaching to ensure you stay in control and address the causes of stress.
Next Steps
To get started on your journey to a calmer lower stress life ….
