Many of us find ways to deal with daily stress. Some of our coping strategies are effective and some aren’t. This blog post will help you to identify whether your coping strategies are helpful or not.

Signs that you are stressed out

Constant stress left untreated can lead to physical illness. After a while, mental stress emerges as a physical ailment.

The common physical manifestations of stress are:

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Headaches

General aches and pains

Loss of libido

Irritability

A stressed out person often lacks patience. A good example of this is road rage. Our tolerance for frustration decreases the more stressed we become. If you find that you are more irritable and snappy lately, it could be due to the fact that you aren’t dealing with underlying stress adequately.

Sleep disturbance

Insomnia or wanting to sleep too much can both be signs of stress overload. Adrenalin and cortisol are released when we are sressed and these hormones can disrupt our sleeping habits.

Withdrawal

Are you avoiding others or isolating yourself? Avoidant behaviour is often a sign of stress. What is going on that you are not dealing with? Are you avoiding talking about issues at home? Are you in a job you hate? It’s only when you begin to address these more important underlying issues that the stress symptoms will disappear.

Addictive behaviour

When we are stressed, it can be appealing to relieve that stress by achieving a dopamine hit. This can easily be done through activities like: shopping, drinking, gambling, drugs, sex etc These are forms of escape and although they can alleviate stress they only do so in the short term. The underlying causes of stress will not go away so thiese types of behaviour are unhelpful in the long run. All of the abive activities are fine in moderation but if stress persists, these acitivities can turn into addictions.

Turbulent relationships

It’s a sad fact that many us of take out our frustrations on those closest to us. This can increase problems in our closest relationships.

If you identify with some of the above, it may be time to take stock of your life in a wider sense. What has happened? have you gone off track or have you let dissatisfaction in some areas of your life simmer for too long?

It’s never too late to address issues and get yourself back on track.

Mandy X

Photo by Ali Yahya on Unsplash

Author: Mandy Kloppers

Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.