Stress is something we all experience at some point in our lives. It can be caused by long days at work, problems at home, illness, pain or virtually anything that makes us feel under pressure or unable to meet the demands placed upon us. Stress can also affect different people in different ways: an event that seems minor to you may cause unbearable stress for someone else, and vice versa. It can even have a positive impact when kept in balance like motivating you to tackle a problem but quickly turns into a burden if not managed properly.
In terms of the symptoms of stress, most of us associate it with feelings of unhappiness and distress. However, the impact is wide-ranging and can go far beyond a temporary change in our feelings. We each have our own way of responding to stress, but it is important to acknowledge how it affects you and why you should consider addressing the root of the problem.
Our emotions
The emotional impact of stress is one we can all identify with. Anxiety, sadness, anger, fear, agitation, nervousness and many other emotions can be experienced as a result of stress, sometimes on a semi-permanent basis and resulting in a huge impact on our lives.
Our thinking
The mental impact of stress goes beyond our emotions. Stress can also affect our concentration levels, memory, self esteem, decision making, passion and more. It is these unfortunate side effects that make it hard to perform when the stakes are high, from missing a shot on goal in the football final to stumbling over your lines when speaking to a crowd.
Our bodies
Stress causes a physiological response as your body tries to deal with the perceived threat. Even if the cause of stress is not physical, it is common to experience things like a rising heartbeat, rapid breathing and an increase in blood pressure. In the short term we can experience tense muscles, sickness in the stomach or even problems in the bedroom, while long-term issues can include migraines, chronic pain and hair loss. Though it is important to address the cause of the stress, massage services are often used to help manage any muscle pain and tension it may cause.
Our behaviour
A change or increase in certain behaviours is a common symptom of stress, such as increased drinking, smoking, gambling, eating, risk-taking and obsessive-compulsive behaviour. We may not even be aware of this change in behaviour, which can make the impact even more dangerous to our health and wellbeing.