I used to think that stress was nothing, just an excuse people gave when life was well, what life is.  It took me years to realize the power of stress. It is real, it is powerful, and it is dangerous.

So powerful in fact that it can affect your health, your emotions and negatively impact every aspect of your life.

By definition, stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.

The thing about stress is it is as individual as each person is. Everyone has a different threshold and different triggers. The more stress you are under and suppress it, you eventually think you can handle more, to the point you think you are immune to it. Key word in that sentence is you think.

I, myself just recently realized how powerful stress is. Stress and how you let stress affect you can be detrimental to your health. The first step is acknowledging it. Please don’t be like me and think acknowledging it and do something about makes you weak. I thought that, I know silly. Taking steps to to improve the stress in your life is the strongest step you can take.

I have had minor health issues for years and had doctors and chiropractors tell me I need to lower my stress level. Two of those doctors even recommended I quit my job. Seriously? Like no job would reduce my stress.

Obviously, I did not listen to the doctors. By ignoring all the signs for years my body finally rebelled. For over a year I was so sick and it took six different doctors, tens of thousands of dollars, procedures, surgery and irreparable damage to my body to get me to pay attention to what was happening to me. It was time to figure it out and do something to get my life back. I was diagnosed with severe Fibromyalgia, Autoimmune Disease, Adrenal Fatigue and Arthritis. There could be more but out of frustration towards all the doctors that were not listening to me and just tired of all the tests, I stopped going to doctors for awhile.

In some of my upcoming posts, I will discuss many of the drug free options I have tried for relief. I am still searching and researching regimens. Some have helped a little, others a lot and a few did nothing but cost me money and time.

It is extremely important to everyone, please pay attention to the signs and signals your body is giving you. Look at this list below of some signs to look for – pay attention to it, your body and behavior. Know your body and self, you know if something is off, don’t ignore it.

Stress Overload Warning Signs

Digestive Issues

Saying digestive issues is a board statement. Issues can includes nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, acid reflux, indigestion, diarrhea, stomach cramping, excessive gasiness and more. Stress can affect your gut, how you digest and acid production. Please note that these issues by themselves or singularly may not indicate a problem. You also need to look at other possibilities such as what you ate or an illness. You know what is out the the ordinary for your body.

Low Energy/Fatigue

This isn’t your regular I am a little tired but a nap will fix me kind of fatigue. My fatigue is so extreme that by 3:00 pm I can barely keep my eyes open. Your level of fatigue will be different. It is as individualized as you are. This is the symptom that just wipes you out.

Headaches

Are they headaches or migraines? Both actually qualify. The type of headache you have may vary – sinus headache, tension headache, migraine.

Unexplained Aches/Pains – Muscle Tension

Along with your tension headache you may experience muscle tension. Feeling like you were hit by a truck but no truck in sight.

Difficulty Sleeping or Staying Asleep

Even though you are exhausted, you lay down in bed and now your eyes are wide open. Once you do fall asleep, you wake up multiple times throughout the night. These issues result in never feeling rested or refreshed when this happens over multiple days, weeks, months your health and immune system are at risk.

Pain in Chest/ Overwhelming Anxiety Attack

Years ago I ended up in the ER for chest pain so intense, I thought I was having a heart attack. Heart disease runs in my family so even though I was reluctant to go to the hospital, my doctors office was adamant that I go. That visit should have been a wake up call to me but no. The wake up call came years later after another ER visit for yes again intense chest pains. That time I took it more seriously and started my quest to find answers. Whether you have a history of heart disease in your family or have anxiety attacks, please take them seriously.

Decreased Sexual Desires

I won’t say too much about this. Sex is a great release for stress.  It’s a natural pain reliever: Sex causes increased production of oxytocin, Prior orgasm, oxytocin is released from the brain and is accompanied by the release of endorphins, our natural pain-killing hormone.

Anxious – Constant Fight or Flight Mode

The fight-or-flight response is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. In response to acute stress, the body’s sympathetic nervous system is activated due to the sudden release of hormones. The sympathetic nervous systems stimulate the adrenal glands triggering the release of catecholamines, which include adrenaline and noradrenaline.* When you are under stress daily or a higher level of stress you are in a constant Fight or Flight state. This constant state is detrimental to your health and well being.

Please pay attention to the above warning signs. These are just physical, there are also many emotional/mental signs to be aware of. I will address these in a later post. I will also be writing multiple posts on ways to keep your stress down.

Hopefully, you realize the power of stress and what havoc it can wreak on your health and well being. Be aware, be mindful, take action when needed and be healthy.