Everyone experiences different symptoms of stress. Stress is the wear and tear that our mind and body experience when we have to face a challenging situation. In simple language stress occurs when resources are less and pressure is more. For eg. A student preparing for exam may experience stress as the syllabus is more and time is less. Every individual has different way of experiencing stressful feelings for eg, feeling worried, tense, angry, tired, frightened, low etc.
In the current scenario during COVID-19, people are juggling to balance personal and professional life. While work stress is common, but with changing times and urbanization people are experiencing more stress at work. High work pressure, target based jobs, different work shifts, high aspirations, job insecurity, job responsibility, conflict at work place, changing work pattern etc are leading to high level of stress which takes a toll on a person’s personal life and Health and gives rise to different symptoms of stress.
Many people report that when they get a message from their boss regarding an assignment to be done in a specific time duration, then they experience increased heart beat, restlessness, sweating, nausea etc. The thought that comes in their mind is that “I will be criticized and my appraisal this year will get affected if I do not complete the task in the given time”.
A kind of negative self-talk starts in the persons mind. The result is that the anxiety has an impact on this persons performance and the work gets delayed and to complete the work he stays up till late night. The result is that next day feels fatigued, not able to concentrate etc.
If this vicious cycle keeps repeating, leads to burnout, this then has a significant negative impact on a persons mental and physical health. Excessive, prolonged and unrelieved stress can have a harmful effect on mental and physical health. People with high level of stress at work may also experience mental disorders like clinical depression, anxiety disorders etc. Physical health also can get compromised, high level of stress can increase the probability of falling ill.
Though it may be tough for an individual to understand and accept he needs to seek help from a Psychologist or a Psychiatrist, THAT IS WHY THE FIRST STEP IS TO HAVE AWARENESS AND INSIGHT REGARDING SYMPTOMS OF STRESS.
Different people experience different symptoms of stress. Following are the different symptoms of stress:
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS OF STRESS:
- Sleep pattern changes
- Fatigue
- Digestion changes
- Loss of sexual drive
- Headaches
- Aches and pains
- Indigestion
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Sweating & trembling
- Tingling hands & feet
- Breathlessness
- Palpitations
- Missed heartbeats
COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS OF STRESS:
- Lack of concentration
- Memory lapses
- Difficulty in making decisions
- Confusion
- Disorientation
BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS OF STRESS:
- Appetite changes
- Increased intake of alcohol & other drugs
- Increased smoking
- Low Energy
- Restlessness
- Fidgeting
- Nail biting
EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS OF STRESS:
- Bouts of depression
- Worrying
- Fits of rage
- Tearfulness
- Anger
These are most of the symptoms of stress that may be present in the person suffering from stress. Not all the symptoms are present in an individual. But if an individuals day to day functioning is getting affected due to any of the above mentioned symptoms then that indicates that professional help is needed from a Clinical Psychologist or a Psychiatrist. Seeking timely help from a mental health professional may not just help a person to get relief from symptoms of stress but also has many other benefits like improved quality of life, self-acceptance, better relationships, improvement in work performance, better physical and mental health.
