The warning signs of stress

Stress can show itself in many ways.

Some of the warning signs of stress or symptoms of stress;

Crying spells.
Outbursts of anger for no apparent reason.
Difficulty eating.
Feeling irritable at the smallest of things.
A general lack of motivation.
Feeling wound up, depressed.
Shouting at loved ones.
Feeling overwhelmed.
Not taking pride in your appearance or personal hygiene.
In short, stress can show as a disinterest in life generally.

Can stress affect you physically?

Common symptoms are headaches, heaviness in the chest, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, dizziness, upset stomach, teeth grinding or jaw clenching, particularly during sleep. It can also cause a lack of libido in both men and women.

How can you begin to handle stress?

Identify whether you are stressed, then look at your life and ask yourself, what is my stressor?

Is your stress coming from work, or is it family? Is it my environment, or in some cases, is it a learned behavioural pattern from a parent or older sibling?

Sometimes without thinking, we can mirror other people’s ways.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

What is Post-traumatic stress disorder?

This is a mental health condition caused by a traumatic experience. The symptoms of this include flashbacks and nightmares. Any situation that a person finds traumatic, for example, road accidents, death of a loved one, an assault or childbirth.

The thought of the occurrence can trigger the trauma. For example, I am currently treating a client who was evacuated from her hotel in Rhodes during the recent fires there. She becomes very tearful whenever anyone mentions outbreaks of fire.

The NHS website has some great information on PTSD.

Coping with stress.

Take time away from watching, reading or listening to news stories, especially those on social media!

Make time to unwind, try and re-engage yourself with the things in life that you enjoy; music, for example, is excellent for stress. Talk to friends about how you feel; they might have the same problem.

Avoid alcohol and tobacco and seek medical advice.

Can Hypnotherapy help with stress?

The answer to this is yes. If you recognise any of the warning signs of stress mentioned, contact me, Cino, your local Hypnotherapist or call me on 0771 564 456 for an informal no-obligation chat.