Signs of Stress

Recognising stress

Stress in itself is not necessarily harmful – we need goals and challenges in life or we get bored. However, the amount of stress we can cope with varies from person to person, and too much is damaging.

Some common signs of too much stress

• Increased irritability
• Increased sensitivity to criticism
• Signs of tension, like nail biting
• Difficulty getting to sleep and early morning waking
• Increased use of alcohol or cigarettes
• Indigestion
• Loss of concentration

It is important to take action to relieve damaging stress before it affects your physical or mental health. If you start to feel that things are getting on top of you, give yourself some breathing space. Take a day off from work, domestic chores, family and anything else that puts pressure on you. Spend the day doing only relaxing things that make you feel good. It can make all the difference and reduce the threat to your wellbeing.

Reproduced and used with kind permission of the Mental Health Foundation