A white van made its way directly at me while I squealed my way very quickly across the crossing holding on to my friend’s arm. Two muscular and not completely unappealing men chuckled as they came to a stop within inches of the path I had just taken. I was a little flustered but also quite amused as both they and my friend let out belly laughs! I was on a zebra crossing after all and I was totally safe! I just couldn’t help making the noise!
Bursts of stress are good for us, it serves a purpose, makes us alert to danger and gets us quickly out of situations that may harm us.
Prolonged stress is not. Prolonged stress has a detrimental effect on our physical and mental health and if it goes unrecognised it poses a very real threat to us.
Here are 4 signs that may indicate that you are chronically stressed. If this rings true for you it’s time to look at what you can do in your life to reduce it.
Irritability
Are you snapping at people much more than you usually would? Stress makes us irritable because the nervous system’s “hyper-alert” button is switched on. Our sensory receptors make things seem louder, more pronounced, over stimulating and there often feels like there is no way to get away from the sensations. Everything seems so intense and it makes us far more reactive than when we’re relaxed. We may also experience tearfulness and things seem to get to us much more than they usually would.
Weight gain
When we are experiencing prolonged or chronic stress the body releases cortisol which increases our appetite. It also helps the body to store fat so it has a quick way of creating energy should you need to run away! The increased appetite will have you craving sugary and fatty food.
Sleep Deprivation
Stress activates part of your brain that is responsible for the sleep-wake cycle. This interference can have catastrophic effects on our ability to get to sleep and stay asleep. The consequence of this is feeling tired and trying to tackle your stressors without adequate rest. This is a vicious circle.
Loss of libido
Stress hormones play havoc with hormone balance and so it is not surprising that libido is hit. This can create a feeling of separateness in our relationships which exacerbates a feeling of low mood and isolation.
I didn’t notice I was burning out, until the day my brain said “enough” It was a steep climb back to wellness and I have a lot of tips and tricks I can share when it comes to recovery but the best thing you can do is prevent it in the first place.
Let me know if you want to talk!
I’m a country girl at heart. I like empty roads where I can take my time. I don’t make that stress squeal noise in the country!