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Apr 25, 2022
Stress
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As a normal part of life, stress is our body’s reaction to change or challenging circumstances. However, the past two years of the pandemic have piled on excess worries. According to a “Stress in America” poll co-conducted by the American Psychological Association in February 2022, “U.S. adults appear to be emotionally overwhelmed and showing signs of fatigue.” Most adults (87%) agreed that “it feels like there has been a constant stream of crises over the last two years” and 73% admitted to feeling “overwhelmed by the number of crises facing the world right now.” [1]
Short-term stress (i.e., acute stress) goes away quickly, within minutes, hours, or days. Example: when a car cuts you off in traffic or you watch a scary movie. Long-term stress (i.e., chronic stress) lasts for a longer period, weeks, months, or even years. Example: You’re dealing with work-related stress or struggling with money problems.
When stress persists for more than a few weeks, it takes its toll on both your physical and mental health. Your body reacts to stress with an automatic stress response that triggers the sympathetic nervous system by increasing heart rate, enhancing blood circulation, elevating breathing rate, and releasing stress hormones. If you’re not effectively managing stress, these high stress levels can impact both your mental and physical health.
To make sure stress doesn’t go unchecked, you need to know what signs of stress look and feel like. What are some of the physical signs of stress? What are the emotional signs of stress? Spotting them early can help you combat stress later on. Read on to learn more about the signs and symptoms of stress to watch out for.
As mentioned above, when faced with a stressful situation, your body activates a stress response (a.k.a. the “fight-or-flight” response) and releases crucial stress hormones (cortisol and epinephrine). During this stress reaction, the body releases stress hormones that trigger physiological changes including muscle tension, increased pulse, and heightened alertness—all good things to help the body protect itself and handle the stressor. [2]
Everyone reacts to stress differently, so learn to recognize the stress symptoms that show up in your body. Some people exhibit physical symptoms, some people exhibit emotional symptoms, and some people experience a mix of both. Physical and emotional signs and symptoms of stress include the following: [2,3,4,5]
Physical signs:
Emotional Signs:
In short bursts, stress can help you avoid danger or handle a stressful situation. But when stress persists, it can lead to stress overload, which harms your mental and physical health. According to the American Heart Association, “mental health can positively or negatively impact your physical health and risk factors for heart disease and stroke.” [6]
No matter what kind of stress you have, it impacts every system in the body, including the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and reproductive systems. [7] While acute stress comes and goes quickly, chronic stress lasts longer and leads to (or increases your risk for developing) all sorts of health problems, such as: [2,7]
Stress may also contribute to negative behavioral health, including: [3,4]
*These unhealthy behaviors are associated with increased risk for heart disease and stroke. [6]
Because of such far-reaching health implications, it’s important to recognize the stressful situations in your life and find healthy approaches to stress management. Identify specific stressors, whether that’s acute stress, chronic stress, or both. Common stressors include work, school, health, finances, and relationships.
Once you identify your stressors, you can start managing stress more effectively. For quick stress relief, try these strategies: [8,9
For a more long-term approach to stress management, you might need to adopt a trial-and-error approach to stress management, since different strategies might not work for you (or appeal to you). But in general, you can start with these stress-management techniques: [5,8,10]
Stress is rampant these days, and it shows up in the body in unusual ways. What are some of the physical signs of stress? Physical symptoms include muscle tension, sleep problems, pain, digestive issues, and headaches. Stress signs also show up as emotional symptoms including irritability, sadness, difficulty focusing, forgetfulness, and feeling overwhelmed. When stress persists, it can negatively affect both your mental and physical health, causing (or increasing risk for) serious issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes, and mental health disorders. Being able to identify your stressors is the first step, followed by practicing techniques for both quick stress relief and long-term stress management.
Continue to check back on the Nature Made blog for the latest science-backed articles to help you take ownership of your health.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to serve as medical advice or a recommendation for any specific product. Consult your health care provider for more information.
† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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