How to Know When You Are Stressed

You are in the kitchen making dinner. Your husband pops his head into the kitchen and asks: “Are you OK?” You initially ask “Why?” He begins to explain how you have been mumbling to yourself and slamming the cabinets doors. At this point you have been stressed for so long that you don’t even know what set off. 

Our body communicates with us throughout the day, telling us when we are stressed. When we have stress we release hormones, one being cortisol. When we have continuous stress we continue to produce cortisol. This begins to play a part in our health. Here are a few common ways stress affects your health.

High blood pressure

Our heart rate and blood pressure increase.

Immune System

Our white blood cells production decreases, making it hard to fight infections.

Skin

Cortisol inflames our skin condition such as dry skin, cold sores, psoriasis, and more.

Obesity

When we stress, we can have cravings such as sugary foods, salty foods, and caffeine. With this, we also have low energy. When we combine low energy and unhealthy cravings, this can create habits for obesity in some of our lives.

Depression &/or Anxiety

An emotional reaction to stress can be racing thoughts and negative thoughts. When experiencing continuous or unresolved stress we can have these thoughts running through our minds all day. This can cause us to experience depression or anxiety. Chronic stress can also exacerbate those who already experience depression and anxiety.

Neck, Shoulder, and Back Pain.

As said for our skin conditions, cortisol creates inflammation. This inflammation makes it hard for us to heal. This could be a potential reason why we experience muscle pain when we are stressed. Also, pay attention to your posture throughout the day.

Take some time today to check in with yourself today. When we check in with ourselves we can identify when we are becoming stressed and communicate our needs to others.