Stress affects everyone. However, the amount of pressure we can endure is not the same for everyone. Each one of us has a threshold beyond which, if the issue remains unaddressed, there might be dire repercussions including, symptoms of depression and trouble sleeping. Here are some of the signs that your body needs a break:
1. You Feel Dehydrated
Anxiety causes your body to release stress hormones from your adrenal glands into your bloodstream. The adrenals are situated at the kidneys, and when they get stressed, they affect other hormones as well. The hormonal changes also influence the levels of fluids in your body and the balance of your body electrolytes. Stress might cause you to feel thirsty, and your mouth feels dry.
2. You Have Hair Loss
Several conditions can cause your hair to fall out when you are too stressed. Hair loss is not just a cosmetic problem. When you have alopecia areata, your immune system attacks your hair follicles and causes hair to fall off in patches. At times, you might have a psychological condition called trichotillomania, where you have an irresistible urge to pull out your hair regardless of where the hair might be located.
3. You Keep Forgetting Things
Having difficulty recalling where you might have left your specs could be a sign of excessive stress. Spatial memory reduces when you are chronically stressed. It is that part of your brain that reminds you where an object is relative to others as well as different locations.
4. You Seem To Have A Cold Or Frequently Get Infected
A running nose could be an indication of stress. When you are stressed, you become prone to the common cold. After your body has relaxed from a stressful episode, you have a letdown effect, which causes a flare-up of some conditions like the migraine.
According to experts, your body produces a stress hormone called cortisol, which keeps you from feeling pain. However, once your body gains its equilibrium, the effect of cortisol wears off, and you start feeling the pain.
5. You’ve Just Got To Use The Loo
A digestive system that frequently acts up, giving you the crumps or an urge to make frequent visits to the can could be stress-related. Anxiety can affect your digestion by shutting down the blood flow to your gut. The restricted blood flow makes your stomach lining to produce fewer secretions, and it affects how your digestive muscles contract. It is not uncommon for stress to cause diarrhea, nausea, and constipation.
6. You Sweat Even When It’s Cold
Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating because of stress. It usually occurs when you are more anxious than usual, and manifests as damp armpits or even clammy hands. If you ever heard the expression “cold feet,” then you now understand what it means. You can use a few tricks to control the stress.
7. You Have Throbbing Muscles
Much of the tension built up when you are stressed ends up settling in your muscles. You might feel as though you are injured or have muscle strains, but the tight shoulders and strained neck may not be the result of using a bad pillow or having gone for a workout. Relieve the stress in your back muscles by getting a massage or a warm, soothing bath.
You need to take note of any subtle changes in your emotional health. Apart from the physical manifestations of stress, you might have a moody disposition or feel quite irritable around other people. A bit of pressure is not bad. It might even be beneficial.
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