RECOGNIZE STRESS SYMPTONES
A lot of stress is harmful. Not only does it make you less happy, it also has a negative effect on numerous processes in your body, including your immune system and your metabolism. In addition, a burnout is always lurking if you do not intervene in time and tackle the stressful situation. The number of burnouts has increased significantly in recent years. More than 22 percent of Dutch women say they have or have had a burnout. Two years ago, this was still 15 percent. The number of burned-out or overstrained men rose from 9 to 12 percent in the same period. A possible cause for this difference is that women have to play on many more boards at the same time than men in addition to their work. Think of parenting and informal care. The Social and Cultural Planning Office recently reported that women still spend much more time than men on parenting, informal care and housework.
RECOGNIZE SYMPTONES OF STRESS
Stress is something that everyone experiences at some point, but recognizing the symptoms can be difficult. Often the signs creep in gradually, so that you do not always realize that your body and mind are under pressure. However, there are clear signals that indicate that it is time to take a moment to reflect on how you feel.
You may notice that you are more easily irritated or have difficulty concentrating. You may feel like you are always on, even when you are trying to relax. Physically, symptoms such as headaches, increased heart rate or tightness in your neck and shoulders can affect your daily life. You sleep less well, or you notice that you are more often tired, even after a good night's sleep.
Stress also manifests itself in your behavior. You may work harder to keep up with everything or you may procrastinate because it all seems too much. This can lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed or lacking control.
Recognizing these subtle and sometimes not so subtle signals is the first step to taking better care of yourself. Stress is your body’s warning that you are reaching your limits, and it is important to pay attention to this. By consciously paying attention to what you are feeling, you can prevent stress from building up and having greater consequences.
RECOGNIZE STRESS BY 10 SYMPTONES
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Not in the mood for anything
Tired, no desire, listless. You have no energy and you no longer feel like doing things that you normally enjoy. After work you can't do anything. A normal portion of rest doesn't make you feel better.
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Restless
You constantly feel rushed and restless. Relaxing becomes increasingly difficult.
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Breath
You breathe shallowly and faster than eight times per minute. Try it: set the timer and count your breaths in resting position.
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Sleep problems
You have trouble falling asleep, you don't sleep well or you wake up very early in the morning. You don't get enough rest.
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Mood swings
You have a short fuse, are easily irritated and get into arguments more easily. You are constantly on edge and extra alert.
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Worrying
You keep worrying and can't let things go.
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Depressed
You are more depressed, insecure or anxious than normal.
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Continue
You tend to just keep going.
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Concentration problems
You quickly become distracted, can no longer plan properly, are more forgetful and make more mistakes.
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Pain and less resistance
You have a headache, muscle pain, pain in your back or shoulders and your resistance decreases, so you are sick more often.
Take the free online stress test here Get an instant answer
EFFECT OF LONG-TERM STRESS
Unhealthy stress and physical complaints
Physical complaints that can arise or worsen due to stress include:
- Muscle complaints (back pain, neck pain, headache).
- Stomach/intestinal complaints (abdominal pain, heartburn, flatulence).
- Allergic complaints (eczema, shortness of breath).
- Flu symptoms (cough, cold).
In the long term, after years of overexploitation, stress increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and contributes
contributes to the general deterioration of the body.
Unhealthy stress and psychological complaints
Unhealthy stress can manifest itself in the following areas: thinking, emotions, relationships, self-image and behavior.
Long-term stress manifests itself on various fronts:
Think:
- Your ability to concentrate is reduced; you have difficulty reading newspaper articles or having conversations
follow because your thoughts keep wandering. - You are forgetful or more disorganized than normal.
- You constantly worry about your problems.
- You no longer dare to make decisions.
Emotions:
- You feel more tense and restless than usual.
- You suffer from emotional outbursts, such as sudden crying spells or irritability.
- You feel unrested, you are very tired.
- When unhealthy stress lasts for a long time, you will develop anxiety or depressive symptoms.
Relationships:
- Your interest in other people, work and hobbies decreases.
- You distance yourself from your surroundings and become more cynical.
- You feel ashamed of your vulnerability and reduced functioning.
Self-image:
- You doubt your own abilities.
- You feel powerless in situations more quickly than usual.
- You feel that you are no longer able to perform your normal activities.
- You may also make more mistakes in your work because of problems in thinking and this reinforces your idea
that you are incompetent.
Behavior:
- To reduce stress, you may drink more than usual or use other substances
to calm your anxiety. - Your eating pattern is out of whack: you lose weight because you don't take the time to eat, or you gain weight because you are suffering
gets from binge eating and eating a lot of junk food. - You start working harder because you think that the consequences of your poor performance need to be remedied
and that the stress will then disappear more quickly. - You have trouble sleeping.
- You keep postponing difficult tasks
