Almost everyone has experienced stress in their life, this is a very common condition to happen. Under normal conditions, stress can even have a positive impact, such as helping you work faster when you have to complete a task. However, this condition should not be allowed to drag on because it can cause several health problems and will also have a negative impact if it occurs frequently, or is left untreated.
Signs You’re Experiencing Severe Stress
Easily irritated
If you find yourself feeling very moody, irritable, or generally not feeling well when it comes to emotions, it might be a sign that you are currently experiencing stress. Your feeling might be uncontrollable, resulting in you losing your temper easily, or feeling like crying whenever things that you do not like happen.
Changes in cognitive capability
Another common symptom of severe stress is when you’re having trouble remembering things, concentrating, or being easily overwhelmed with daily activities. Stress could also impact you to keep making poor life decisions. This is because your brain will be affected due to the severe untreated stress, thus why it results in you having changes in cognitive capability.
Changes in appetite
Common symptoms of overstressing can also be seen in changes in your appetite. It is very possible for someone to use food as their emotional gateway. Unmanaged stress can cause an increase in cortisol levels, which in turn stimulates appetite. As a result, you may end up binge eating and gaining weight drastically. There are also people who tend to skip meals whenever they feel stressed out – thus they experience weight loss in the process.
Physical pain
Headaches, muscle tension, stiffness on the neck, and increased heart rate are also common signs of stress. Stress that is not managed properly can also lead to various other health problems, such as a weakened immune system which makes the body susceptible to diseases.
When humans feel stressed out, the body releases the hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which make the heart work faster and make you easily tired. Prolonged stress can trigger various diseases, thus it is important for everyone to be able to have the ability to manage their stress level properly.
Various Ways to Overcome Stress
Express your feelings
Holding on to stressful feelings can make you feel like you are trapped, with no way out. This is why it’s better for you to release all the burden that you feel inside, by expressing what’s on your mind to the person that is closest to you, or even to a psychologist. Unloading your feelings, worries, and stress –can be the ultimate way for you to feel much better afterward.
Exercise regularly
In addition to making the body healthier, exercise can also help you to relieve stress. After exercising, the muscles in your body will be more relaxed, and your mind will be distracted thus it can help you to improve your mood. You don’t need to do strenuous exercise to relieve stress, you can also do a simple exercise such as walking around your neighborhood.
Do fun activities
Doing fun activities, such as cooking, gardening, painting, or anything that you like –can trigger the body to produce dopamine or a happy hormone. This will help your body and mind to be more relaxed afterward.
Seek out help from loved ones
It will also be great if you can seek out support from people closest to you, such as friends and family. Hanging out with them can help you to get out of the severe stress. This is because spending time with loved ones triggers the release of oxytocin, a brain chemical that is a natural stress reliever. Living life with happy feelings can have a good influence on your life.
Eat healthy food
Green leafy vegetables like spinach or kale are rich in magnesium. This mineral is very important to help regulate cortisol, thus will help you to not fall deeply into stress. You should also regularly consume fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, or tuna –which are rich in omega 3, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12 -these foods are known for their ability to lower cortisol levels and can help to prevent stress.
In addition to nutritious food, consuming enough water is also important to overcome the stress you experience. Enough water can make your body function and brain work better — this can help you to better control the stress you’ve experienced. Always keep a vast selection of different water bottle sizes at home, so you can bring one or two anywhere with you wherever you go.
Avoid stress triggers
Sources of stress can come from anywhere, including your phone and social media. It can even happen due to someone you know. To relieve the heavy stress that you experience, the simplest solution that you can do is to avoid them. Turn off your phone for some time, or communicate your feelings to someone that is stressing you out –let them know that you need time away from them. Choosing yourself first is the ultimate way for you to be able to control the stress you’ve experienced.
Prolonged stress can affect all aspects of your life. To ensure that your stress level can be better managed, you should do things that can help you to relieve your stress. This is very important, because if left unchecked -stress can interfere with your quality of life.
