Many of us are well aware of situations or circumstances that cause us stress. In the moment we can recognize the signs of emotional response to the stress we are suddenly experiencing. Are we as good at recognizing stress over the long term? What about stress that slowly creeps in? The kind of stress that seems small but accumulates over time and before you know it, we are blowing our tops. We have all experienced this stress at some time or another in our lives. It isn't as easily recognized or noticeable in our lives until it accumulates and become too much.
There are still ways of catching this stress before it becomes too much. We need to be much more intentional about recognizing it before it becomes overwhelming.
The following is
a list of signs and symptoms of stress, personal and work related stress:
- weight
change
- changes
in hygiene
- posture
- trembling
or shaking
- increased
smoking or coffee drinking
- change
in energy (highly energized, or lethargic)
- skin
pallor or blushing
- breathlessness
- inarticulate
speech
- sighing
- changes
in health
- nail
biting
- tearfulness
- frowning
or overly serious
- tone
of voice
- alcohol
or drug abuse
Signs and symptoms of stress at work:
- being
late for work
- absenteeism
- longer
lunch breaks
- clock
watching
- leaving
early
- changes
in productivity
- performance
issues
- frequent
mistakes or accidents
- poor
memory
- difficulty
making decisions
- impaired
judgment
- lack
of personal care
- loss
of temper, mood swings, over-reactions
- withdrawal
socially or isolating self
- poor
time management and inability to meet deadlines
- low
morale / commitment to the employer
- conflict
in workplace relationships
- low
efficiency
Do any of these
sound familiar? When you reflect on the particularly stressful times in your life,
which of these were prevalent? We can't always rely on the obvious emotional responses to stress. Not everything that causes us stress is immediate, sometimes it happens over a prolonged period of time. However, if we pay attention to our physiological responses we can still recognize and respond accordingly. If any of these signs and symptoms stand out to you chances are they are the best indicators of sneaky stress in your life. Evaluate these areas often and note any changes that you notice. Once you have started regularly monitoring your emotional, psychological, as well as your physiological patterns, you will be able to recognize the signs of stress earlier and deal with it in a more effective way.
