It seems most days we are racing the clock. We wonder how much we can physically accomplish or how many commitments we can add to one day. A full busy day can be healthy! However, it can also be physically detrimental. Can you relate to any of the 10 Signs of Unhealthy Stress?
Before you start to worry you’ll be stuck with unhealthy stress for years to come; we’ll look at solutions to managing our full lives and therefore managing our stress levels.
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Keep in mind I’m an advocate for living healthy, which means managing stress naturally. Therefore, I am not a medical doctor nor will I give advice or medications like a doctor. If you feel like your stress is out of control, you might consider seeing a medical professional.
Normal Stress & Excessive Stress
The normal stress of life may not necessarily have negative effects on our body. I’m referring to the stress of driving in traffic, dentist appointments, or even preparing for family outings.
It’s also important to note that your personality has a lot to do with how you handle stress. Some people have the ability to literally take “one day at a time.” Others are wired a bit differently and need to implement natural ways to manage stress.
The kind of stress we’re looking at is excessive stress. Yes, that is the culprit! What causes excessive stress? An accumulation of stressful moments all happening within a short time period. Certain personality traits can experience stress more profoundly.
A short list of what others have reported as stressful:
- Give everything work ethic: they work hard every single day
- Super-mom or Super-dad: high expectations to be everything for the children
- Physical and monetary means of keeping up or repairing a home
- Engaging in social activities
- Year-round sports commitments
- Volunteer or community opportunities
- Participation and commitments at your local church
- Preparing meals for special diets: 100% of the time
- Sickness; either prolong, terminal or frequent
- Death of a family member or close friend
- Overwhelming feeling of not wanting to disappoint (self and others)
I could get stressed just thinking about all those ways to feel or experience “excessive stress”. You are juggling many plates and have much going on in your life. Managing and dealing with stress is vital to a healthy body and mind!
Stress effects our attitude, actions, and relationships!
10 Signs of Unhealthy Stress
Unhealthy stress is not limited to these ten signs. Check to see if you experienced any of these unhealthy stress symptoms, make a note of how many signs describe you.
Insomnia. Your brain and body won’t “turn off” and relax.
Frequently sick. You have repetitive colds or catch the latest stomach virus. Stress is suppressing your immune system, making you vulnerable to illness.
Tense muscles. The muscles in your back, neck and shoulders feel tight a majority of the time. When our adrenaline levels are high, that triggers our muscles to tense up. Our shoulders actually move up and forward when we’re under stress, which is a contributor to lower back pain.
Anxiety. Our brain gets flooded with stress hormones and results in anxious feelings and even panic attacks. Read “12 Effects of Anxiety on the Body” for more details on how it negatively affects our health.
Frequent headaches. We might be quick to contribute our headaches to changes in the weather or allergies. It could be we’re constantly tightening the muscles in our head and neck causing our head to hurt.
Low energy. Stress drains us of mental and physical energy.
Negativity. Our outlook on life becomes grim, and we constantly struggle with negative thoughts and feelings.
Overwhelmed and discouraged. You feel like life is just “too much”. The thought of juggling all the expectations we place on ourselves and keeping commitments we’ve made to others can be powerfully overwhelming.
Difficulty focusing. You forget important details and facts. Others often have to repeat dates or events due to your lack of focus. It can also be referred to as lack of mindfulness of your surroundings.
Physical Ailments. Fast heartbeat, chest pains, stomach ulcers, weight gain, and migraine headaches. Excessive stress makes us physically unwell.
5 Solutions to Managing Stress
Prioritize. Take time to make a list of what is important to you. (Examples: family, kids, faith, volunteering, work ethic, travel, business, sports, or homemade meals.)
- Now, number your top priorities.
- What is your top 5 items?
- Think about your day and see if your time is spent on your top priorities.
- Do you prioritize too much?
Pursue a Passion. Do you have a hobby on your priority list? Spending time and energy on pursuing a passion will expel stress. It could be baking, quilting, spending time outdoors, needle felting, fishing, hiking, reading, painting, or a hobby farm. Reserve time during your week to pursue a passion.
Journal. This is one of the best ways to manage stress. Be honest with yourself. Reflect on your actions, what makes your situation stressful. Make lists. Write just for you, no one else.
Read the Bible. The #1 Bestseller book in the world can help you manage stress. Start by reading Psalms, Proverbs, or the Gospels. Journal what it meant to you.
Take a bath. Hot water, epson salts, and a few drops of lavender oil will bring you relaxation. Let your muscles relax, and your mind dwell on the many things you have to be grateful for.
5 More Solutions to Managing Stress
Take time alone. Finding the time to spend with just yourself can be difficult. One way to manage stress is taking a few moments by yourself. It could be sitting down to read a book, taking the dog for a walk or relaxing in a hammock.
Pause social media. When you are stressed out, refrain from scrolling through Facebook or checking on Twitter. Listening, reading, and watching the news can also be stressful. Shut it all off, and take a deep breath.
Grab a hot beverage. Many herbal teas have natural medicinal effects on stress. Keep relaxing Chamomile Lavender tea, stress-relieving Tulsi tea, and even Kava Stress Relief tea on hand to unwind during the day or evening.
Go to bed earlier. Sleep is a natural way to manage stress. It doesn’t matter your age; when our bodies are physically tired, we don’t handle stress very well. This goes for infants, children, teenagers, students, and adults! Prioritize sleep as a stress management tool.
Nourish your brain. Take care of your brain, and you’ll manage life much better. Our brains need nutrients found in wild-caught salmon, tuna, dark chocolate, blueberries, pumpkin seeds, free-range eggs, avocados, and leafy greens. BBC Good Food lists “10 Foods to Boost Your Brainpower“.
10 Signs of UnHealthy Stress
So, what does your stress level look like? For every sign that indicated you are stressed, plug in a solution to manage your stress. If you have 4 of the 10 signs of unhealthy stress, look to implement at least 4 solutions.
Your health is counting on you learning solutions to managing stress. It’s not only okay to take the time to do this, it’s a necessity.
Remember, stress effects your actions, attitude and relationships.
I personally have found relief from stress from many of the mentioned solutions. The top three solutions for me are spending a few moments alone, reading the Bible and going for a hike.
What solutions did you find the easiest to put into practice?
Managing stress together,
Melissa says
Interesting article! Very helpful tips on managing stress!