Do you recognise
the physical symptoms of stress?
Perhaps you did not realise stress can cause these physical symptoms. Physical symptoms of stress Time now for some self analysis, looking for changes. Remember stress is an individual response, we are all different. What do you experience? - Limbs: sweaty palms, hands shaking, cold hands/ feet
- Heart/ lungs: palpitations, rapid shallow breathing
- Muscle tension: headache/ backache/ neck ache/ muscle tics and spasms, clenched teeth or fists
- Stomach/ bowels: 'butterflies' in stomach, heartburn, tight stomach, indigestion, IBS, constipation, diarrhoea
- General: feeling faint, weakness, obesity, chronic pain
Now note when the stress physical symptom occurs, or what causes it. Keep a stress diary; E.g.
- waiting to do a presentation to the boss: sweaty palms, heartburn
- bad argument with partner: headache and neck ache, tight stomach
- waiting in airport for flight: sweating, shaking, feel cold
IMPORTANT If you experience any of these possible bodily symptoms of stress you MUST first visit your doctor to check that these are NOT caused by an illness/ physiological problem before concluding they are caused by stress. If your doctor agrees stress is the cause of your symptoms discuss what you can do and then come back here and do some more research.
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