What is stress and what are its symptoms?

January 6, 2009

Stress becomes our everyday life. The concept of “stress” has long passed from the category of scientific terms to the concept of common everyday life. We hear about it almost daily in the media and in everyday life. The UN considers workplace stress the “plague of the 21st century.” According to numerous experts, mental disorders

caused by acute or chronic psycho-emotional stress are widespread.
Stress and its health consequences are reaching epidemic proportions
and represent an important social problem in modern society.

What is stress and why is it dangerous?

Stress is a state of increased tension in the body as a protective reaction to the influence of unfavorable factors (physical, psychosocial).

Almost all people have encountered stress in their lives. A significant proportion regularly experience physical symptoms associated with stress without even realizing it.

Stress awaits us everywhere - from an interview with an employer or a first date to a pile of unwashed laundry or an illness in a child. Stress itself is not always bad, because it allows us to invent individual ways of dealing with life’s difficulties, it makes us more mature, more seasoned, and smarter.

However, if stress is excessive or extremely prolonged, it can lead to the exact opposite result and turn our lives into a real nightmare. Stress that exceeds the body's adaptive capabilities is called distress. Distress leads to a breakdown of defense mechanisms and the occurrence of physical illness.

Often we don’t think about whether everything we do really needs to be done - or is it better to tell ourselves: “Stop.” We usually think that we are simply doing what any normal person would do in our place. This is precisely what can lead us down the path of chronic stress, folded into a gradually twisting tight spiral.

Contact us for support

Zhanna Segal, Ph.D. and founder of the nonprofit psychological assistance community HelpGuide, recommends not forgetting the importance of supporting loved ones. Support and empathy from others, especially in person, can be a very effective way to let off steam and restore a sense of calm. The main thing is to immediately explain to your interlocutors that you do not require any specific help from them - they just need to be good listeners.

The opposite is also important - if you share problems with loved ones, be prepared to listen to them in return. Offer help first, don't wait for the person to contact you.

It is better to recognize stress at the very beginning

otherwise, its level inside can grow to such an extent that neither work nor rest will simply become impossible. And this state will very quickly lead you to the idea that you seem to be terminally ill.

Here are the symptoms of stress by which it can be recognized at the very beginning.

Cognitive symptoms:

Inability to focus and concentrate;
Perception of predominantly negative aspects of life;
Anxiety or racing thoughts;
Difficulty in making decisions;
Difficulties in mastering new information;
Constant anxiety;
Nightmares;
Constant feeling of guilt;
Inability to plan your life;
Forgetfulness, disorganization

Emotional symptoms:

Depression or feeling of lack of happiness;
Low self-esteem: “I am lonely, insignificant”;
Feeling of overload, loss of control over your life;
Frequent tears, thoughts of suicide as a possible rest;
Dejection;
Apathy;
Irritability, short temper;
Agitation, inability to relax

Physical (somatic) symptoms:

Nervousness, “shaking”;
Weakness, fatigue;
Muscle twitching, tremors;
Pain, muscle hypertonicity, spasms;
Diarrhea or constipation;
Nausea, dizziness;
Chest pain, tachycardia, bradycardia;
Frequent colds and other infections;
Decreased libido, potency or ability to have sex;
Frequent belching, flatulence;
Unexplained attacks of “allergy”;
Weight gain or loss without changes in diet;
Ringing, buzzing, clicking in the ears;
Cold or sweaty palms or feet;
Dry mouth, difficulty swallowing;
Clenching of the jaws, grinding of teeth;
Hair loss
Acne (pustules on the skin);
Skin rash, itching;
Numbness of body parts;
Hot/cold flashes;
Sweating; control
Tingling in various parts of the body;
Decrease in overall energy level;
Headache;
Insomnia;
Heartburn;
Panic attacks;
Feeling nauseous;
Frequent urination;
Difficulty breathing

Behavioral symptoms:

Change in appetite;
Excessive or insufficient sleep;
Social isolation, isolation;
Aggressiveness, hostility;
Acute reactions even to ordinary stimuli;
Defensive behavior or suspiciousness;
Obsessive or compulsive behavior;
Nervous behavior (nail biting, restlessness, constant movement);
Loss of the need to take care of one’s appearance and be punctual;
Stuttering, rapid or mumbled speech;
Procrastination, neglect of obligations, irresponsible behavior;
Using alcohol, cigarettes, drugs to relax;
Lying or constantly making excuses to explain shortcomings and failures in work;
An increase in the number of minor accidents or accidents that occur to a person;
Excessive gambling, impulsive and thoughtless purchases;

Just because you have one or two of the symptoms on this list doesn't mean you're stressed, but the list does make it clear what stress can do if it goes unrecognized.

How people react to stress

People react to stress in three different ways.

1. “Hit.” Reaction to stress in the form of excitement, readiness to fight, in the form of aggression in order to eliminate the source of stress.

2. "Run." Withdrawal, depression, withdrawal into oneself or one’s own world, dissociation as a reaction to stress.

3. “Double” answer. A person freezes in tension and has no way to express it. The ability to act is paralyzed, and inside the person is extremely tense.

How to cope with stress

1. The most important way is to avoid unnecessary stress. Why would you want to get into a fight on a social network or in a queue? Why fly on vacation to a distant country where, according to rumors, a change of power is taking place? Think twice when planning your actions and especially when you are driven by emotions.

2. Try to change the situation. Get advice, call for help, pick up a stick - whatever will change the situation in your favor.

3. If the situation cannot be changed, try to adapt to the stress factor. If the stressor is a person, look at the situation through his eyes and understand the reasons for his behavior. If stress is caused by too much workload, try to find additional resources to gain strength. In any case, to adapt to the stressor, it is better to talk about your situation to someone who knows how to listen. By talking through the situation again and again, you will be able to see what previously remained in the shadows. And maybe change your attitude towards stressful situations. A good resource is a way out of the situation with a complete change of environment, activity, and social circle. If there are no opportunities for such a way out, try to do something crazy right in your situation, something that you have never done before. Often this allows you to obtain a new resource for adaptation.

4. Accept the things you cannot change. Does your husband drink and is not going to quit, despite all your joint conversations and plans about this? Look at this with open eyes and tell yourself: “Stop. This will never happen." “Yes, I’m not handsome, but that’s no reason to be unhappy.” “Yes, I don’t have (someone or something) now, and most likely never will. But there is my life, friends, work, etc.” “This world is unfair to me. But he is just as unfair to many. However, he gave me (such and such).” These are examples of accepting statements that, despite all the painful processes of awareness and acceptance of the situation, have extraordinary healing power, releasing a large amount of resources and restoring the boundaries of the individual for a further full life.

There are several other ways to cope with stress that may seem minor at first glance, but are actually quite effective:

Laughter. When your brain can no longer think, simply take your mind off the situation by watching some good comedy.
Massage. In a stressful situation, the body is under tension and massaging the back or feet helps to cope with this tension.
Be alone for a while. Often the best way is to collect your thoughts and look at the situation in a new way. Take a shower, go for a walk, sit in a cafe, take a nap, or just work alone. Hand the children over to your husband (wife, grandmother, grandfather, nanny), and be alone for a few hours. This is a powerful resource for restoring internal balance.
Do something useful for yourself. Often stress increases because you feel that the situation in your business, at home, or your illness is out of control. Sometimes, paradoxically, in such a situation, it can help to cook dinner, go to the laundry, clean up the house, or do a manicure, hair, or makeup.

So, the main thing you need to learn is don’t let stress take its course . Unrecognized stress reactions in the body over time lead to significant difficulties in life and at work, and later to somatic diseases.

Take care of your nutrition and physical condition

When you are overly focused on work, you may not take care of your health. But it is proper nutrition and exercise that can make you stronger and more resilient to stress. Self-care does not require major lifestyle changes. Even little things can lift your mood and increase your energy levels.

See also: How to increase stress resistance

Find time for regular exercise.

There are studies that show that literally half an hour of active walking or running a day is enough to feel better.

Try to eat right

, saturate your diet with meat and a lot of different vegetables. Eating small, frequent, healthy meals helps the body maintain consistent blood sugar levels. This maintains your energy and concentration and prevents mood swings.

Minimize your intake of sugar and fast carbohydrates.

Soft wheat pasta, potatoes, pizza, white bread, sweets - all these are simple carbohydrates that lead to obesity and reduce energy levels.

Start the day with a positive attitude

Elizabeth Scott, MD and author of the psychological portal VeryWellMind, reminds us of the benefits of morning rituals. It is unlikely that we will have a positive attitude towards life if we spend every morning fighting traffic jams and being content with coffee instead of a healthy breakfast.

Instead, try getting up early and preparing a healthy breakfast. There is no need to come up with some amazing and complex dishes, just scrambled eggs and fruit are enough. If possible, leave home early and get to work without traffic jams. Or try replacing the car with the metro - without the hassle of travel, your mood will definitely be better in the morning.

Elizabeth Scott's key conclusion about the impact of morning on professional stress is that the less we worry in the morning, the better we feel during working hours and the more difficult it is for stress to overcome our good mood.

Avoid bad habits

Some people smoke as “self-medication,” supposedly to relieve feelings of stress. However, studies have shown that smoking actually increases anxiety and tension.

The problem is that nicotine does relax you at first, but only for a few moments. Then withdrawal symptoms set in and food cravings increase. To relieve these symptoms, the person smokes again, and everything repeats. As a result, stress only grows, and by the evening cigarettes do not help even for a few moments.

Alcohol is even worse - it causes the production of cortisol, which only increases tension in the body and prevents it from relaxing on a physiological level. Moreover, researchers have linked increased cortisol levels in the body with the development of metabolic disorders and mental disorders such as depression.

When you feel tense and notice symptoms of occupational stress, it is better to first stop smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages. They will only make the problem worse.