Can you stress without knowing it

By using our site, you consent to cookies. More details. Searching for a specific life coach or NLP practitioner? Try our advanced search. Health coaching. By a verified life coach Published on 11th March, So, what are the signs of undiagnosed stress?

Broadly, they fall into three categories: Psychological: Irritability, poor concentration and decision-making, memory loss, mood swings, chronic worrying, anxiety and low mood, nightmares and persistent bad dreams. Share this article with a friend. Mindfulness is very useful and more and more scientific evidence is appearing that illustrates how effective it is at combatting psychological issues.

Exercise is an incredibly successful way to look after our mental health and is known to alleviate psychosomatic symptoms particularly bowel symptoms and aches and pains. Although less practical it is worth re-evaluating lifestyle and how working lives impact on our mental stress. It is not news to anyone that jobs cause stress but the physical effects from this can be surprisingly significant. For years I have been treating a patient with high blood pressure who required three separate medications together to control his blood pressure to a safe level.

It was only when he took semi-retirement that his blood pressure came down naturally, and he is now medication free. In retrospect, he can acknowledge the huge effect his work was having. Working patterns, travel and workplace relationships all have an impact.

Occasionally medical help is needed with psychological physical symptoms. GPs are well placed to offer this. This could be in the form of anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication or referrals into therapy. Cognitive behavioural therapy is used to treat anxiety, stress and depression and provides practical solutions for dealing with negative thoughts.

Parenting Mental health Healthy eating Conditions Follow. Type keyword s to search. Miguel Navarro Getty Images. The simple answer is: very easily. Physical effects of stress Our bodies can react very strongly to our mental health, and for some people the physical symptoms may be the only sign of anxiety or stress. Stress and hair loss are linked in three ways: one, called Telogen effluvium, is when the hair follicle is pushed out prematurely before completing a full growth cycle, resulting in excess shedding.

Alopecia areata is systematic hair loss in which your immune system is actually attacking your hair follicles, causing them to fall out. Trichotillomania is a disorder in which someone pulls or picks out their own hair, which is often exacerbated by high levels of stress or anxiety.

It's a body-focused repetitive disorder closely linked to obsessive compulsive disorder. One surefire way to know if you're constantly too frazzled is if you develop a " stress rash ," which can be hives or welts that tend to be itchy or painful, but aren't always.

If your skin is suddenly freaking out, and you're noticing red spots or patches, your body might be dealing with stress by giving you hives or a rash, which can be made worse for people who have skin conditions like psoriasis or rosacea.

When we're under a lot of stress, one of the first things to go is sex, even though sex is a proven stress reducer. If you find yourself wanting sex less often than is normal for you, it could be due to a spike in cortisol, that pesky stress hormone. A low sex drive is often a result of stress, so if your sex drive is lagging , you'll want to check in with yourself and your partner about how you can reduce your stress levels.

Stress does a number on our immune systems, making you more likely to get sick. And then once you are sick, you'll have a harder time fighting off the infection. As Jan Kiecolt-Glaser , a psychologist at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, told The Washington Post in , "hormones biologically express our emotions," so "if stress is chronic every day, pumping out hormones without any escaping or fighting, then it's not good for your immune system.

When those hormones are released into our bodies, our immune systems become suppressed, making us more susceptible to illness. If you're battling colds more often, it could be your body's way of telling you that something's up. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation.

Arielle Tschinkel. As our lifestyles get busier and busier, being under constant stress can start to feel normal. Being stressed is often given a badge of honor, but it can really mess with your mental and physical health. There are several telltale signs you're simply under too much stress and you may not even realize it.

Over 3 Million people read Morning Brew, you should too. Loading Something is loading. Email address. Sign up for notifications from Insider! When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life—giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid a car accident.

Stress can also help you rise to meet challenges. But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, mood, productivity, relationships, and your quality of life. You can protect yourself—and improve how you think and feel—by learning how to recognize the signs and symptoms of chronic stress and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects.

When you feel threatened, your nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, which rouse the body for emergency action. Your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and your senses become sharper. These physical changes increase your strength and stamina, speed up your reaction time, and enhance your focus—preparing you to either fight or flee from the danger at hand. And the more your emergency stress system is activated, the easier it becomes to trigger, making it harder to shut off.

And that can lead to serious health problems. Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in your body. It can suppress your immune system, upset your digestive and reproductive systems, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, and speed up the aging process. It can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.

The most dangerous thing about stress is how easily it can creep up on you. You get used to it. It starts to feel familiar, even normal. The situations and pressures that cause stress are known as stressors. We usually think of stressors as being negative, such as an exhausting work schedule or a rocky relationship. However, anything that puts high demands on you can be stressful.

This includes positive events such as getting married, buying a house, going to college, or receiving a promotion. Of course, not all stress is caused by external factors. Stress can also be internal or self-generated, when you worry excessively about something that may or may not happen, or have irrational, pessimistic thoughts about life. Finally, what causes stress depends, at least in part, on your perception of it.

While some of us are terrified of getting up in front of people to perform or speak, for example, others live for the spotlight. Where one person thrives under pressure and performs best in the face of a tight deadline, another will shut down when work demands escalate.