Stress Symptoms: Emotional, Physical, and Psychological Signs

We’re all very familiar with the term stress. It’s one that gets tossed around a lot in our everyday conversations and is something just about everyone deals with to some extent. But what are some of the important stress symptoms and which ones should you be looking out for? Let’s explore a little bit more about stress, its common causes, and how to better manage it.

What is Stress?

A clear definition is a great way to get started on learning about and better understanding stress.

In its most simple terms, stress is a feeling many associate with being overwhelmed or feeling incapable of handling the mental or emotional pressure that gets thrown their way. It can be thought of as the brain and body’s response to demands and challenges. That could mean anything from changes at work to a big traumatic event.

In more recent times, it could be COVID-19 that has been the main cause of stress. We’ve all had big changes in our lives and have had to deal with the unexpected. This can all come together to be incredibly stressful and can take a toll on us psychologically, physically, and emotionally.

Stress Management Approach 

We’ll get into some more specific stress management approaches later on, but here are a few to help get you started!

• Lifestyle changes: It could be your diet or getting more exercise in your day. Your daily routine can have a big impact on how your mind and body handle stress.
• Relaxation and mindfulness: Taking time for you can be a great way to better manage your stress and help you stay calmer when challenges get thrown your way.
• Counselling: Sometimes seeking help from a professional is the best solution for dealing with your stress.
• Technology: Neuvana offers an incredible tool for stress management and handling the symptoms that go along with it. (More on this later)

Psychological Symptoms of Stress

Psychological symptoms of stress can affect you in tons of different ways. Whether it’s putting strain on your ability to get things done, or adding to the other stresses in your life, these symptoms aren’t something that anyone wants to have to experience.

Here are some of the psychological stress signs you should be aware of:

• Sleep disturbances: It’s common to see sleep problems and even insomnia arise because of stress. Many will not be able to sleep because of stress and then also become stressed because they are unable to sleep. Nightmares are also a common sleep disturbance symptom.
• Difficulty concentrating: It can be difficult to concentrate when you’re consumed by stress. This is a very common symptom where you have a hard time focusing on specific tasks.
• Lack of confidence: It’s common for those experiencing stress to struggle with low self-esteem. They may think they are worthless and have low confidence which can have long-lasting effects.
• Depression: Chronic stress can lead to major depression and is one of the things known to increase the risk of someone developing depression. This can happen if someone is not coping with their stress well.
• Difficulty relaxing: If you have trouble quieting your mind or relaxing it could be due to stress.
• Difficulty with decision making: Stress has the ability to impair learning from negative feedback and help learning from positive feedback. This can make decision making difficult.
• Irritability: This is a common trait for those who are stressed. Those who deal with stress have been known to have higher levels of anger. It makes it easier for them to become irritable and show these signs towards others.
• Tearfulness: The feeling of being on the verge of crying and tears more than usual. This is a common psychological stress sign.

Physical Symptoms of Stress         

There’s no question that stress can affect you physically. The mind and body are connected which means if you are experiencing stress it affects your brain, which in turn has an influence on the body. If you are experiencing physical symptoms of stress, it will be important to pay attention to which ones you’re dealing with and what that could mean for stress management. Here are some of the physical symptoms of stress you should be aware of:

• Muscle tension and pain: While you might think muscle tension or pain is because of sleeping funny, it’s very likely it could be because of stress. You will want to work towards managing your stress in order to relax your muscles.
• Low energy: Feeling sluggish could be because of stress. This is because your liver produces more glucose which does give you a boost of energy, but could be hard on your energy levels if you deal with this surge over time.
• Headaches: If you are experiencing tightness across your forehead or a dull, aching head pain, it could be because of stress.
• Nervous twitches or muscle spasms: While not everyone will necessarily have nervous twitches or muscle spasms as a symptom, they are common for those who experience stress. Stress twitches could have an effect on any muscle in the body.
• Changes in appetite: As stress causes psychological changes in your body, these changes can influence your digestive tract and stomach. Therefore, causing changes in your diet.
• Decreased sexual function: Stress can cause the loss of sexual desire and function, therefore, causing an inability to respond to sexual cues.
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing: This is a common symptom of stress which can make you feel even more stressed. Definitely something you will want to seek to manage.

Emotional Symptoms of Stress

Our emotions can be affected by tons of different things, whether it be life events, or just a change in hormones. One of the common things that can influence our emotions and emotional response in stress. If you’re feeling easily frustrated, have difficulty relaxing, or find you often feel bad about yourself, it could be due to stress. Read on:

• Becoming easily agitated, frustrated, and moody: If you experience emotional changes such as becoming agitated, frustrated, or moody easily, it could be because of stress. This could be seen as similar to how you feel after getting little sleep and feel like your emotions are out of control.
• Feeling overwhelmed, like you are losing control or need to take control: Like we just mentioned, it can be easy to feel like you’re losing control of your emotions when you’re stressed. Having difficulty relaxing and quieting your mind: Even after a long day of work it can be hard to become relaxed or even go to sleep when you’re dealing with stress.
• Feeling bad about yourself (low self-esteem), lonely, worthless, and depressed: Your emotions may shift so you end up feeling bad about yourself when you’re dealing with stress.
• Avoiding others: You may just feel like you want to be alone more than anything when you’re dealing with stress and are having troubles managing it.

Risk Factors of Chronic Long-Term Stress

While stress can be good for us in smaller doses, experiencing it long-term can come with risks to our health. If chronic long-term stress is to go untreated and last for an extended amount of time, it can mean things like a weakened immune system or even anxiety and depression. A more comprehensive list of these risks includes:

• Heart palpitations 
• Hyperventilation 
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Worsening skin conditions
• High blood pressure 
• Recurrent colds and flu

Risking all of the symptoms discussed above isn’t something anyone should have to go through for too long. It’s imperative to manage the symptoms of stress and rely on some great solutions for doing so.

Solutions to Managing Stress

Any of the symptoms described can be difficult to deal with, especially on an ongoing, chronic basis. Instead of accepting defeat, it will be important to get on top of your symptoms and try out some ways for managing them. Here are some to help you along.

Get Outside

It’s amazing what the great outdoors can do for you when it comes to positively managing stress. The sunlight alone can help to bring up your levels of serotonin which help you to feel good and happy.

Fresh air is also incredible for helping to calm you down and give your brain a reset. Not to mention how a change of scenery can help you to gain a new perspective and positive way of thinking. Use nature to your advantage and consider getting out whenever stress strikes.

Incorporate Movement into Your Day

Even when moving your body feels like the last thing you want to do when you’re stressed, it can be the best thing! Exercise helps your body to produce endorphins which help you to feel good, feel happy, help improve your sleep, and boost your energy. Each of these things come together to help you better manage your stress.

If you’re not someone who exercises regularly, try starting out with a few minutes of movement each day. Find an activity you enjoy and you’ll be sure to enjoy exercising a lot more all around.

Get into a Routine

When your daily schedule is pure chaos your stress levels aren’t going to improve. Set yourself up for success with a great daily routine that also helps to relax you.

You might try taking a bath every night before bed or making sure you get up for a walk each morning. Whatever it is that helps you to feel productive, and also relaxed, is going to be essential for developing better stress management.

Try to Connect Spiritually

Getting in touch with your spiritual side could be the answer to better dealing with stress. Those who are spiritual have been known to see a boost of happiness as they find mantras that resonate with them.

Next time you’re feeling stressed, try repeating your affirmation or getting in touch with your spiritual side. The more you do, the more in control you’ll feel and the better you’ll be able to relax. Take things one step at a time!

Xen by Neuvana headphones

You can use vagus nerve stimulation tools like Xen by Neuvana headphones in your daily wellness routine. You can read more about how vagus nerve stimulation works here.

Using these tools can help boost your mood and lower stress levels by helping your mind and body restore themselves. The best part is, it doesn't take much time or effort to experience these effects. 

Simply put, you’ll connect your phone to your Xen by Neuvana device and place the headphones in your ears. You can then sync your music and customize your session and begin experiencing the effects of vagus nerve stimulation for yourself. Once you're plugged in and using Xen, you'll experience a warm, mild tingling sensation within your ear that feels like instant calm that lasts.

Wrapping it All Up

As you can see, there are tons of different symptoms you may experience as a result of stress. It could be psychological symptoms that affect your ability to complete everyday tasks or more physical symptoms that can be difficult or uncomfortable to manage. Many people experience emotional symptoms of stress as well that leave them feeling out of control or frustrated.

No matter what your symptoms may be, it’s important you take action in figuring out what the best management tool is for you. If you think the Xen by Neuvana headphones might be the answer, it could be time to give them a try. 

You can stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system with vagus nerve stimulating headphones from Xen. All from the comfort of your own home. No pain and no surgery required! Ready to shop Xen by Neuvana? Click here.

For further reading:

• Stress – Causes and Symptoms
• Stress Symptoms
• Stress Symptoms, Signs, and Causes
• Stress