Stress. You hear the word thrown around all the time, but how do you know if you are actually stressed, or more importantly, if you should do something about it?

Well fortunately for us, some smart people, somewhere in the world, have found the physical, emotional and mental signs of being stressed. You could be stressed if:

There’s a heavy feeling in your chest, your heart is beating faster or there is a pain in your chest.

You have shoulder, neck or back pain, general body aches and pains.

You have a headache.

You’re grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw.

You’re feeling out of breath.

You’re feeling dizzy.

You’re feeling tired, or depressed.

You’re losing or gaining weight; changes in your eating habits.

You’re sleeping more or less than usual.

You have an upset stomach, diarrhoea or constipation.

You might have sexual difficulties.

You’re being more emotional than usual.

You’re feeling overwhelmed or on edge.

You’re having trouble keeping track of things or remembering.

You finding it hard making decisions, solving problems, concentrating, getting your work done.

You’re using alcohol or drugs to relieve your emotional stress.

You don’t have to relate to all of these to be stressed, you could just relate to one or two. Also, stress can feel intense, or it can feel like it is barely there at all. If you are feeling overwhelmed and you feel like you need help, there are some numbers at the bottom of this page you can call for assistance.