Physical Symptoms of Stress
If you’re at this point, you’re probably already an expert on the physical manifestations of stress in your life. But there may be some physical signs that you are not aware of that can be a consequence of stress.
The following list contains a number of physical symptoms that have been identified as being caused by stress:
- Indigestion or heartburn
- Shoulder and/or neck tension, aches or pains in muscles and joints
- Jaw clenching or teeth grinding
- Constipation or diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, reflux disease, bloating, gas
- Dry mouth
- High blood pressure, rapid or irregular pulse
- Overeating or loss of appetite
- Nervousness
- Headaches
- Excessive sweating, sweaty palms or feet
- Shakiness or tremors
- Increased development of colds or other illnesses
- Muscle spasms/cramping
- Chest pain and/or back pain
- Increased cholesterol levels
- Weight loss or gain
Wow! Even having one or two of these symptoms is pretty severe. Do you understand that having any of these symptoms on a long-term basis as a result of chronic stress can cause enormous damage to your body? And these are only the physical symptoms. There are a number of psychological (thoughts and behavior) symptoms that appear on the next step on our Action Guide.
Next Step:
Psychological Symptoms of Stress
There are a number of symptoms of stress that affect your behavior and your thoughts.
Previous Step:
Are you aware of all the different symptoms of stress that you may be experiencing?
