What is stress?
Stress is the body's reaction to feeling threatened or under pressure. It's very common and can be motivating to help us achieve things in our daily lives such as helping us meet the demands of home, work and family life.
But too much stress can affect our mood, our body and our relationships - especially when it feels out of our control. It can make us feel anxious and irritable and affect our self-esteem.
If you have been experiencing stress for some time and you would consider it to be affecting your daily life or causing you distress, you should consider seeking further support.
Signs and symptoms of stress
Stress can cause many different symptoms. It might affect how you feel physically, mentally and also how you behave.
It's not always easy to recognise when stress is the reason you're feeling or acting differently. Stressful feelings typically happen when we feel we do not have the resources to manage the challenges we face.
Symptoms include:
- Headaches or dizziness
- Muscle aches
- Chest pain or a faster heartbeat
- Stomach problems
- Worrying
- Difficulty concentrating
- Struggling to make decisions
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Forgetting things
- Being irritable
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Eating too much or too little
- Avoiding certain places or people
- Drinking or smoking more
