Taking care of your mental health is essential to maintain your health, productivity, and wellbeing. Unfortunately, in the fast-paced modern workplace, many people don’t even notice when their mental health is starting to take a toll. We are so used to running around to get things done and working hard under pressure that stress and anxiety can be seen as a positive attribute – a sign of success in work and life.
Additionally, you might dismiss feelings of stress and anxiety as something that’s ‘just in your head’. Thankfully, the stigma around mental health is reducing as more people are having important conversations about this topic. Stress and anxiety are not things that should be ignored or dismissed. It doesn’t only exist in your head, it affects your entire body. Signs of declining mental health can manifest physically in your body as illnesses, aches, and pains.
Australia, the Stressful Country
The majority of Australians feel that when they are stressed, it impacts their physical health. And this can compound into life-threatening issues. Chronic stress left unchecked has been linked to a higher risk of strokes, heart attacks, and obesity. If this is you, don’t leave your stress and anxiety unchecked. It’s so important to notice symptoms of stress in your body when they come up so that it doesn’t snowball into a more serious condition.
Stress and anxiety are on the rise, and now affects Australians more than ever before. Just under 5 million Australians are suffering from stress – the most common causes being work pressures, financial worries, a lack of sleep, and family problems. Stress and anxiety are normal human reactions that happen to everyone.
Laura Kampel, Head of Clinical Services and Senior Clinical Psychologist at the Black Dog Institute, states that “Stress is a response to a threat… and is the body’s way of protecting you”. In fact, our bodies and brains have evolved over billions of years to produce mental and physical responses to keep you safe and avoid danger. But that means that in today’s modern era your body and brain may be reacting strongly to stressors in a way that doesn’t actually help at all.
Professional Help
While this guide should serve to remind you to take notice of physical symptoms that might indicate stress, it certainly doesn’t take the place of getting professional medical advice. If you are worried about your physical or mental health and wellbeing, always seek the advice of a professional. What’s more, remember that prevention is always better than cure. It is important to stay on top of a healthy lifestyle and incorporate self-care habits into your daily routine in order to prevent chronic mental or physical health problems later on.
What are the Physical Symptoms of Stress and Anxiety?
Tension Headaches, Migraines
If you’re feeling stressed or worried, you may experience frequent or severe tension headaches or migraines. Symptoms of a tension headache usually include dull aching pain and pressure behind the eyes and around the head, tightness in the neck and shoulder muscles, and scalp tenderness. Symptoms of a migraine can additionally include tingling sensations in the face or limbs, increased sensitivity to sound and light, seeing spots or flashing lights, nausea, blurry vision, and feeling lightheaded or fainting.
While taking painkillers can help alleviate the pain, they aren’t going to address the root cause of the problem – which might be stress.
Clammy Hands, Excessive Sweating
While you might consider sweating gross or embarrassing, it actually has an important function. When you are experiencing nervousness, the ‘fight-or flight’ response generates an increase in body temperature. Sweat is the body’s way of trying to cool down and regulate the excessive heat generated from all that extra energy. It’s the body’s way of preparing for action. You can reduce nervous sweating by managing your stress and anxiety levels better.
Racing Pulse, Increased Heart Rate
When we are experiencing severe stress or anxiety, the heart begins to pump blood more rapidly around the body to prepare for a dangerous situation. This puts extra stress on the heart, leading to an increased risk for high blood pressure and heart disease. If you start to notice that your pulse is racing, try a guided breathing technique to slow your heart rate.
Trembling or Shaking
You may experience uncontrollable shaking or trembling in the hands and body as a physical symptom of anxiety. This is because your muscles are being subconsciously primed to act. Getting enough sleep, exercising, and practicing yoga and meditation can all help to reduce the shakes.
Difficulty Breathing
Another common physical symptom of stress is difficulty breathing. People who are experiencing anxiety or panic may start to feel short of breath and begin gasping for air. Feeling like you can’t breathe can then, in turn, increase the feelings of stress and anxiety. Try practicing breathing techniques focusing on long, slow breaths.
Tinnitus or ‘Ringing in the Ears’
Tinnitus can very often be a symptom of a medical issue or hearing loss. But hearing ringing, buzzing, or whooshing in the ears can also be triggered simply by increased blood flow caused by stress. This is another physical symptom that can in turn generate an unhelpful cycle of anxiety and stress. You can prevent ringing in the ears by managing your stress levels.
Aches and Pains
When it comes to experiencing stress and anxiety, the body bears the burden. People who are stressed tend to hunch over the desk while working, walk with a slouch, tense their muscles, grind their teeth, and clench their jaw. In addition to headaches, this can lead to muscle pain in the back and neck, and serious shoulder injuries that have no physical source. Take care to correct your posture while working and walking in order to prevent this.
Stomach Problems
Ever had ‘butterflies in your stomach’ when you’re feeling nervous? When the body is experiencing the flood of chemicals that happen during a ‘fight-or-flight’ response, blood is moved away from the stomach and towards the arms and legs to prepare for danger. It is this lack of blood that interferes with digestion.
While this might be okay in a short-term situation, chronic stress often leads to uncomfortable and long-term gastrointestinal distress. If you are experiencing nausea as a symptom of stress, drink some water and try to take a rest until the symptoms pass.
Fatigue
Being chronically stressed out leaves the body and mind in a constant state of high alert. You may feel tense or worried all the time, which uses up all your energy. Feelings of mental and physical exhaustion, or persistent lack of energy and motivation, are all common symptoms of extreme stress, especially in women. You can prevent fatigue by managing your stress and anxiety and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Poor Immune Function
Chronically high stress levels can impact on your immune system, meaning that you will get sick more often and take longer to recover. Your body’s ability to fight off colds and flus will be compromised. Auto-immune disorders like Psoriasis and Cold Sores have also been linked to stress. You can boost your immune system by maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle, and by minimizing stress.
Chronic Pain
Much more serious an issue than temporary aches and pains, chronic pain is pain that is ongoing. If you are experiencing pain that lasts longer than six months, your nervous system will be in a constant state of overdrive. Stress can cause inflammation, caused by high levels of the stress hormone cortisol. You could become trapped in a cycle where pain signals remain active in your nervous system for years after the cause has healed.
Chronic Physical Health Issues
Ignoring stress and anxiety can affect your body in life-threatening ways. In fact, chronic stress and anxiety has been linked to a higher risk of strokes, heart attacks and obesity.
If you notice any such signs in yourself, you could be experiencing symptoms of high levels of stress and anxiety. Always seek the advice of a healthcare professional, who will assess if your symptoms are caused by stress or by something else. You can prevent stress and manage these symptoms by maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle, getting enough sleep, and practicing mindfulness techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing.
