Monitoring Your Stress To Be Able To Naturally Manage the Effects

Many people have come to accept stress as an everyday part of life and do little to cope with too much of it. Some stress is actually a good thing as it helps to be active and productive. Too much stress however is detrimental to the body, mind and spirit. Recognizing the signals of stress and stress related problems could reduce the damage that stress can cause.

It can be difficult to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress, as they are diverse and varied among individuals. So all symptoms of excessive stress may not be easily observed but those that are can also help to identify stressors and then recognize the other symptoms.

An individual may possess one or more of several symptoms of stress. There are some common early warning signs, which if one recognizes early enough is able to combat the negative effects of stress and help prevent further harm. 

Some of the most common early warning signs of excess stress are chronic fatigue, excessive irritability or moodiness, amplified or disproportionate anxiety, poor emotional control, noticeable changes in appetite, sleep patterns or sex drive, insomnia, critical feelings of dependency or helplessness and withdrawal from normal activity or responsibility.

One may even verbally express signs of stress by making comments or talking about not being able to relax, feeling tense, and inability to focus or stay on task They may verbalize that they don't feel good, right or are miserable and don't know why. If you pay close attention you may notice that you feel extremely fatigued, the TV may sound like it is blaring, a door being shut sounds like it was slammed.

One may argue or yell at those around them for seemingly no or petty reasons. These are indicators that stress has reached a critical level and needs to be dealt with.

Foods for Stress

Today's Stress Cure Fact Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Major life events or changes to ones life are the leading causes of stress as they are the most demanding on personal resources. Such changes include marriage or divorce, pregnancy or the death of a loved one, moving to a new location, changing jobs, etc. Stress can result from feelings or thoughts that one has. What one considers stressful, another may not, and this is why stress is highly individual and personal in nature. Everyone has differing opinions, different ideas about the way things are or are supposed to be and various methods of coping. Stress affects behavior, the mind and body in many different ways. There are symptoms of stress which like stress itself may vary from person to person in how they are observed or recognized. post traumatic stress

While it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress it is of equal importance to be prepared for situations or events that are potentially stressful. Undergoing or anticipating major changes to ones life such as a move, change in jobs such as a promotion, new job or retirement or family status such as marriage, adoption or pregnancy. 

If undergoing a major change in one aspect of your life it may be advisable to limit or avoid changes in other aspects. Sometimes people feel stressed at certain times of the day or even of the year due to work or other pressures such as family obligations. For some it is the holidays, for others it is the summer or upcoming birthdays or anniversaries.

Guard against letting negative thoughts take over when stress arises. The best way to combat negative thinking is to, only focus on your positive achievements every day. Whenever you begin to notice you are having negative thoughts, be sure to make yourself focus on the positive things in your life.

A good way to monitor stress level or to prepare is to write things down. You may want to try keeping a daily log of events and reactions or even just taking a few moments a day to jot down your feelings or emotions. It is also helpful to write things down such as appointments, to do lists, meal plans, and upcoming events instead of relying on memory as this can cause mental anguish and undue stress.