Understanding Stress: Common Symptoms & Relief Strategies

Stress can affect everyone, and the symptoms can be physical, emotional and mental. The sooner you identify that you are experiencing stress, the quicker you can relieve it. Five common areas of stress have been identified.

Cognitive Symptoms

• The cognitive symptoms of stress are memory loss, problems concentrating, bad judgment, concentrating on negative things, racing thoughts and constant worry.

Emotional Symptoms

• The emotional symptoms of stress include mood swings, being short-tempered, becoming easily irritated and aggravated, loneliness, depression and isolation.

Behavioral Symptoms

• The behavioral symptoms that can be experienced are fatigue, sleeping too much or not enough, isolation, neglecting responsibilities and acting careless.

Physical Symptoms

• Common physical symptoms are aches and pains in random parts of your body, dizziness, nausea, loss of sexual interest, diarrhea and constipation.

Habit-Forming Symptoms

• In some cases, if you experience stress, you will develop a bad habit, such as using drugs, alcohol or cigarettes to help you relax. You can develop less-serious habits, such as nail biting or pacing.