Your stress symptoms may or may not include the tell-tale physical signs such as headaches, shaky hands, palpitations, dry mouth, and so on -- yet. But there may be plenty of other signs that all is not well.
In fact, the kind of "stress tips" people sometimes dish out to their stressed-out colleagues and loved ones seem almost too trivial for what is needed when you're close to an emotional melt-down. That's because stress is anything but trivial. It can kill you.
And while emotional health isn't quite as visible to bystanders as physical health, anything that hurts you emotionally can have a dramatic impact on your physical health as well, not to mention the quality of your life. Read on for eleven ways in which stress may be affecting your emotional health:
1. Are you frequently anxious and nervous? Or even fearful or scared?
2. Are you sad or depressed. Do you wish you could stay in bed permanently whenever it's time to get up in the morning?
3. Are you hypersensitive to criticism? Do you feel like a hopeless failure?
4. Are your moods flip-flopping faster than the most fickle politicians? Do you find that any little thing can set you off?
5. Do you feel lonely and alienated? Do you feel that no one understands -- or cares?
6. Do you feel like a victim? Do you wonder, "Why does this always happen to me?"
7. Have you lost your sense of humor? Do you get angry when others see any kind of humor in your situation?
8. Do you feel overwhelmed by the kind of demands others seem to take in stride? Or demands that you yourself used to be able to take in stride yourself?
9. Do you worry a lot and conjure up elaborate worst case scenarios? Do you have difficulty coming up with best-case scenarios?
10. Do you find it almost impossible to make decisions? Are you mired in an endless loop of "what if"?
11. Do you cry a lot? Does it take just a little thing to make you burst into tears?
If you answered "yes" to even one of these questions, you may be suffering from excess stress.
If you answered "yes" to several, you're definitely dealing with too much stress and it's time to take drastic action. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and prolonged stress will severely affect your ability to function in just about any setting. In addition, it will damage your immune system as well as your brain. Do something that makes you feel better today.
If you answered "yes" to all of them, or even almost all of them, be sure to get professional help immediately.
Author's Bio
And if you recognize yourself in this article and wonder what to do about it, you are invited to get Elisabeth Kuhn's FREE ebook with seven mood-boosting and stress-reducing strategies.
Or maybe you want the full-sized version instead, with lots more strategies.
Last, but not least, please visit Elisabeth's eclectic self-help blog for more resources for body, mind, spirit, and prosperity.
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