Stress is defined as a state of mental or emotional strain that can be caused and created by a number of adverse circumstances, and whilst most of us are dealing with feelings of stress throughout our week, or even daily at the moment. New research is telling us that over a third of working adults are reporting extremely high levels of stress on a regular basis. Stress will take a heavy toll on many aspects of your health. Stress has a wide range of symptoms which I have outlined in this blog. Once you have raised your awareness around stress and you are on the lookout for signs of long-term stress then you are halfway to finding a solution that works for you. This blog will help you to identify some of the symptoms of stress that you could be simply attributed to daily life.
What stress symptoms should you look out for?
Look out for symptoms of stress which can include:
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Headaches
Studies have found that stress will contribute to headaches. But a stress headache is different from a normal headache. It is usually characterised primarily as pain in the head or neck region. Other characteristics include dull, aching head pain with tightness or pressure across your forehead or on the sides and back of your head. You will also recognise a stress headache from tenderness on your scalp, neck, and shoulder muscles.
What is interesting that over half of all headaches are triggered by stress, making it the second most common headache trigger.
Other common headache triggers include lack of sleep, alcohol consumption, and dehydration.
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Chronic Pain
Aches and pains are a common complaint that can result from increased levels of stress. As your stress levels increase so do your levels of the stress hormone – cortisol – which is associated with chronic pain.
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Frequent colds
If you feel like you’re constantly battling a case of the sniffles, coughs and frequent colds then reduce your stress levels. Stress may take a toll on your immune system and can cause increased susceptibility to infections.
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Low energy
Chronic fatigue and decreased energy levels can also be caused by prolonged stress. I talk about low energy and how to improve it in my best selling book Gorgeous!
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Insomnia
Difficult and stressful emotions will affect your sleep and its quality.
Then of course the cycle of sleep deprivation will fuel further stress and irritability.
Stress induces a range of bodily reactions in the brain and nervous system, endocrine (hormone) system, and immune system. The stress response is known as hyperarousal in which the brain and body operate as if “on alert” all the time. Hyperarousal is the central underlying driver of insomnia.
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Digestive issues
Digestive problems like diarrhea and constipation can also be caused by high levels of stress.
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Appetite changes
When you feel stressed out, you may find yourself either with no appetite at all or ravenously raiding the refrigerator in the middle of the night.
There are many ways to help relieve stress, the key is finding the technique and practice that resonates and appeals to you. You can try practicing mindfulness, calming exercises like Pilates, or other longer-term healthy practices.
Some solutions can be as easy as paying attention to yourself and paying attention to how you are feeling.
Pay Attention
Too much technology and screentime?
Toxicity of technology isn’t just about #bekind or FOMO, technology can also affect the levels of stress on your body because of sitting and staring at screens for a prolonged period of time which causes strain on your body and your mind. Paying mindful attention to your body and your thoughts doesn’t just change how you experience your feelings but also how they flow and affect your body.
Sat in the same position for too long?
On a simple level, paying attention will also make you more aware of how you are holding yourself and the uncomfortable position you are in.
On a deeper level, you’ll begin to notice pockets of tension in your body and what your emotions you are holding onto in that area. For example, a stressful day at work, or a difficult conversation will immediately raise your shoulders. Another simple example of an emotionally directed feeling in your body could be a family incident that sits in your tummy as anxiety. Sometimes your tension isn’t simply because you have strained your knee, back or shoulder. Your body’s strain isn’t always linear—it builds up in your muscles for many reasons, including past injuries, surgeries, emotional scars, traumas, and long term stress. Once you’ve started to understand your body, you can move in ways that feel nourishing. This is very similar to intuitive eating. Like food, movement is a nutrient. Your body needs it, and so does your brain.
You can change the way you feel with physical exercise and getting outside and being with nature, walking and when you incorporate mindful awareness with this activity changes will happen and it will enhance all aspects of your life.
Solutions
Start with getting up and moving around.
Pilates mindful movement starts with paying attention to where and how your body would like to stretch, and for how long. You’ll start to notice that you don’t need reminders to adjust your body position or take breaks from work or a constant seated position. Your body, your own cells will send you the message, and your brain will be ready to receive it. Join Pilates online www.adelespilates.co.uk/online
Then go deeper and notice the emotion…
Being aware and noting how you feel will help to create harmonious control on your body and how it moves, and knowing your mind and your thoughts will help you to release those thoughts more quickly. Following your own bodily and emotional clues are the heart of understanding your body and yourself.
Trust your process.
Emotional triggers can be diminished your long term success depends on knowing who you are and why you react to certain challenges. Find out more about what makes you tick and understand your own personal growth. Your success depends on starting a small, new routine.
A routine habit that will ease the strain. Would you like a positive approach to your health and well-being?
Prefer Video? Top two symptoms of high stress
Reset your mind and detox your body
If you’re typical of most busy successful women I work with you’re probably doing some of the activities in the book for your health. It may be that you’re doing most of the activities. But if you’re not feeling great, full of vitality and hitting your weight goals then you’ve probably got a few glaring gaps.. and these are typically around your daily and weekly habits. And if you don’t take action to change those cumulative bad habits and add in a few great ones .. you’ll still be in exactly the same situation this time next year.
So with that in mind I’d like to invite you to work with me inside my membership community the 6 Week Gentle Reset.
It’s only open to 10 new enrolments and I’d love you to be a part of it
Working with me inside the membership and I’ll help you identify the bad habits that are accruing, then give you the resources you need to add in some great habits eg. video tutorials, cheat sheets, exercise videos, group coaching, and the all-important buddy-up motivation.
And you get the opportunity to pick my brain and get personal feedback on your nutrition every single week in our group coaching session.
What sort of results can you expect?
University lecturer and business owner Rachel explains “I am starving, therefore, I must be losing weight, but the scales were going the opposite way – I was confused…” Rachel is a busy professional, hardworking and successful who lives life at “100 miles an hour”. She fits a lot into her day and she was looking for some help with her health that could be “easily absorbed into her day” She noticed she was getting a lot of colds, feeling lethargic, she knew it was because she wasn’t putting the right nutrition in her body. You can hear Rachel talking about how she changed her life click here
Big changes are coming
There are big changes coming soon in the way I offer my coaching services and to keep you in the loop I want you to know that from 1st March I will be putting my prices up. If you are interested in jumping in before that deadline then head over click here
I’d love for you to be part of the group so that you can create the healthy transformation you have always wanted, to have more energy, more time and travel the world with a body and lifestyle that allows you to enjoy that.
Gorgeous is your journey of discovery
PS. Don’t forget your Gorgeous! – powerful insights into great health and vitality Gorgeous! how to look and feel fantastic every day. Click here to find out about your Gorgeous book
References: (1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4377029/ (2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6054324/
