Stress: 7 signs that it is ready to overwhelm us

Stress often has physical manifestations, such as difficulty sleeping, migraines, and stomach problems. When these annoyances settle in and concern us frequently or continuously, it is likely to mean that the war against stress is about to be lost, and we must now do something drastic to deal with it.

The stress of recent years has accumulated and threatens us all never like before. The pandemic, the confinement and everything brought with them, the insecurity, the fear, and the financial crisis all came and settled in our lives, burdening our psychology and creating constant stress.

As we know, stress is our body’s natural defense against danger. In case of danger, our entire system goes into alarm.

Stress hormones, cortisol, and adrenaline are released, and all our organs are on high alert: our lungs, heart, mind, and muscles. Our blood pressure and heart rate increase, muscles tighten, and our mind tries to stay focused and alert.

When this situation lasts for a while, there is no problem because the human body is made to deal with sudden situations of danger.

But when stress persists, and our body is under the influence of stress hormones for a very long time, we may develop serious health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular problems, asthma, etc.

As it is difficult to avoid exposure to stress, we should at least be mindful of doing something to protect ourselves when it seems like it will overwhelm us. Let’s see what the signs should make us suspect that we can’t stand any more stress.

Increased heart rate

The stress response increases our heart rate, among other things.

Although elevated heart rates are not dangerous in themselves, research shows that high levels of stress, and by extension persistent rapid heartbeats, increase the chances of heart failure, stroke, and heart attacks, favoring the build-up of atherosclerotic plaque in the arteries.

Indigestion problems

In times of stress, our stomach, as well as our entire digestive system, is greatly affected. As a result, we face problems of indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, and nausea, and all of these – when they last – increase the chances of long-term gastrointestinal problems (e.g., peptic ulcer) stomach).

Insomnia problems

When things become very difficult, and we can no longer manage them well, our nervous system begins to be affected. High-stress hormones in our body burden our sleep and prevent us from relaxing and sleeping as we should.

Colds and infections

High-stress hormones in the body negatively affect the ability of white cells to protect us from various invaders (viruses, germs, etc.).

Also, constant stress increases the inflammation index and often contributes to our immunity getting “confused” and attacking our organs, causing autoimmune diseases.

Eczema

Adrenaline and cortisol affect the blood flow to the skin, increase the amount of sebum, and, therefore, can make acne worse.

Another dermatological disease that is also an autoimmune disease that is related to stress is vitiligo, where the melanocytes of the skin are destroyed. White marks/spots are created on the skin.

Stress is also associated with other skin problems, such as rosacea and allergic skin conditions, and is also likely to aggravate other pre-existing dermatological problems.

Increase in waist circumference

The relationship between stress and belly fat is not clear, but it is known that high cortisol levels make us crave foods high in sugar and fat.

Stress has also been found to slow down the metabolism, which results in weight gain, especially in the stomach.

This means that the fat around the internal organs, such as the liver and heart arteries, increases simultaneously. As is reasonable, all of the above are related to the possibility of developing diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.

Easy outbursts or withdrawal tendencies

Depending on how we have learned to react to stress from a young age, it is very likely that we notice that when we are stressed, we lose our temper and lose our temper much more easily even when the situations are not that serious or that we tend to withdraw and to close in on ourselves with the slightest difficulty and pressure.

Both types of behavior may indicate that we are on the verge of mental burnout.

What can help

* Meditation, even when it comes to something as simple as paying attention to small everyday moments like the warm drops of water falling on our skin when we shower.

* Regular exercises – such as walking, yoga, swimming, and cycling – for 30 to 90 minutes daily can help lower cortisol levels.

* Slow, calm and deep breathing, according to a 2019 study, can make our brain show rhythms similar to deep sleep. This period of sleep is when our bodies rest and repair.

* Positive psychology and, specifically, the 54321 technique can help us. When we feel stressed, we look around and mention out loud five things that we can see, four that we can hear, three that we can touch, two that we can smell, and one that we can taste.

* It is important to have stable glucose levels in our body, so it is good to eat small and frequent meals, avoid sugar and simple carbohydrates and at the same time drink a lot of water.