5 Signs You’re Overstressed (And Don’t Know It)

Unfortunately, there is no other way to reduce this type of tension than making an effort to discover what exactly is causing you to avoid being still and properly addressing it. If you don’t do this and the stress doesn’t go away, all those emotions or thoughts you’re avoiding will get pushed further and further down and ultimately cause you bigger problems. It’s your responsibility to find constructive ways to manage your fears and nobody else can do it for you. Make room for introspection by creating a quiet space and asking yourself deep and honest questions, while making sure to remove any judgmental or catastrophic thinking from the process. If you stick with this long enough, you will probably find out that your troubles aren’t as big as you first thought and that there are many potential solutions.

READ: The Best Techniques to Relieve Stress and Anger

#5. Mood swings and lack of patience

When we have too much on our plate for a long period of time, we eventually break down. Moods wings, i.e. rapid changes in one’s emotional state, are one of the most common symptom of elevates levels of stress. Sometimes moods swings occur as a result of a physical or mental health condition, but more often they seem to happen for no apparent reason. At least that’s what it looks like. Everybody will probably experience a certain degree of general moodiness at some points of their life, but stress-induced mood swings can be severe and drastic and have a substantial negative effect on health and daily function. What’s maybe worse, mood instability is often an important source of reoccurring conflict between the individual and his/her environment and loved ones.

READ: 8 Easy Yoga Poses to Relieve Sciatica Pain in 16 Minutes or Less

Chronic stress is terribly tiring – more often than not, people are simply unable to handle it anymore and unable to contain their discomfort. In such cases, even the slightest hint of stress overwhelms them and they immediately become overly emotional and irritable. The end result? Lack of patience and tolerance with others and frequent snapping at the people who are closest to you. If such behavior lasts for extended periods of time, your personal relationships can suffer great damage. To avoid this, start tracking your moods and try to understand exactly what causes the shifts and changes in emotions. Write your feelings down and try to discover the pattern and potential triggers, then find ways to neutralize them. Change won’t come overnight, but it’s crucial to take the first step and practice tolerance. Once in a while, remember to slow down and just smell the roses!