
Are you experiencing chronic stress without even realising it?
When we think about being stressed, we often associate it with a major event BUT it is more often the day to day things that add up over time that really cause us to be chronically stressed.
The problem is, feelings of high stress are the ‘new norm’.
Most people minimize and downplay the role of stress in their lives as just being ‘the way life is’ so they carry on regardless of how they are feeling.
In fact, they may not even realise that how they are feeling is a problem.
Stress manifests in many ways in the mind and body and quite often we don’t realise that what we are experiencing are signs of chronic stress.
So how do you recognise if you are chronically stressed? There are many different signs, here are some of the common signs.
6 Signs of ‘Secret Stress’
1. Achy Jaw
High levels of stress can lead to jaw clenching and grinding during sleep, causing you to wake up with a sore, or painful jaw. You may also be clenching your jaw while you are awake (due to stress) without realising it!
2. Muscular Tension
Elevated levels of cortisol (our stress hormone) depletes the body of magnesium which increases muscle tension throughout the body.
3. Stomach Aches and Other Digestive Issues
Higher levels of cortisol (our stress hormone) disrupt enzymes and stomach acid production. This leads to difficulty digesting foods causing gas, bloating, cramping, diarrhea and/or constipation.
Cortisol also suppresses the immune system which can make you more susceptible to bacterial and yeast overgrowth in the intestines that can lead to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
As mentioned above, stress also depletes the body of magnesium and that can increase the likelihood of constipation!
4. Difficulty Falling Asleep And Staying Asleep
When we are sleeping, our cortisol levels slowly rise until they are highest in the morning to wake us up and get us going. However, the higher levels of cortisol being produced when we are stressed, makes it difficult for us to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Double whammy, if we have been in a state of high stress for a long period of time, the adrenal glands (which produce cortisol) become fatigued, this means that cortisol levels drop until they are too low, which can cause a blood sugar dip which will also result in night time waking.
5. Brain Fog
Prolonged exposure to cortisol (our stress hormone) is associated with impaired memory and research shows that it can even cause the brain to shrink. Even a small elevation in cortisol can have adverse effects on the brain. People who are under chronic stress have more difficulty with attention and problem solving.
6. Sugar Cravings
When we are stressed, our brains’ require up to twelve percent more energy to function properly!
Our brain’s preferred fuel source is carbohydrates and sugar.
These foods also happen to give the body quick energy.
This is why we usually tend to crave more sweets like chocolate and carbs during times of stress!
Recognizing these signs is the first step towards managing stress effectively.
You can see how all of these signs could easily be dismissed as being down to something else and that is why chronic stress can go unnoticed.
In the words of Eckhart Tolle ‘Awareness is the greatest agent to change’
So, being aware of the signs and symptoms of stress is the first step to managing stress and improving our health!
I encourage you to tune in to how you are feeling, keep a journal so you can see everything written down in black and white. This helps to create awareness and you may even see a pattern in how you’ve been feeling. Then you need to tackle your source of stress and find ways to manage it effectively.
Still not sure if you are ‘Secretly Stressed?’
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