Are you worried about the amount of stress in your life? If the answer is yes, then it’s worth paying attention to how your body and mind are reacting. Stress often builds slowly, and people don’t always notice how much it’s affecting them until they are already overwhelmed. The good news is that there are clear signs you can look for before it gets to that point. By recognizing the symptoms early, you can take steps to protect your wellbeing and keep stress from taking over completely. Here are some of the most common signs that stress is becoming too much.
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You wake up Exhausted
A major sign of high stress levels is waking up tired no matter how much sleep you got the night before. You might go to bed early, sleep for hours, and still open your eyes feeling heavy and unmotivated. This can happen because stress interferes with the quality of your sleep. Racing thoughts might keep you awake, or your body may be tense even when you are asleep. If you are waking up exhausted on a regular basis, it’s a signal that stress is disrupting your rest. Try to pinpoint what is keeping you up at night, whether it’s work, money, or personal worries, and tackle it directly rather than ignoring it.
You notice Physical Changes
Stress doesn’t just live in your head. It often shows up in your body in ways that can be easy to overlook at first. You might notice your hair looking thinner, your skin breaking out more often, or your weight changing even if your eating habits haven’t shifted much. Sometimes the body bloats as a reaction to stress and anxiety. Over the long term, ongoing stress has been linked to serious health conditions such as heart disease and even cancer. This is why it is so important to find ways to relax and reduce tension. There are plenty of natural approaches worth exploring. Research has shown that CBD derived from cannabis can help reduce stress levels, and it can really help take the pressure off when you’re struggling.
You are in Pain
Another common way stress shows itself is through physical pain. The body does not always know how to handle overwhelming emotions, so it translates that stress into something more familiar: pain. For some people it shows up as frequent headaches, while others might feel it in their back, neck, or shoulders. If you are dealing with chronic pain and haven’t had a recent injury to explain it, stress could be the underlying cause. Paying attention to when the pain flares up can help you connect it to moments of high anxiety or pressure.
You are More Irritable
Stress also impacts your mood. You may find yourself snapping at people over small things or feeling irritated much faster than usual. Those around you are likely to notice these changes before you do, and they may even comment on your behavior. If people close to you are saying that you seem tense or easily upset, it could be a sign that stress is playing a bigger role than you realize. Therapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy, can be helpful for learning healthier ways to cope with those emotions and keep your reactions under control.