The question is whether you have been stressed or not, a little or a lot, with a risk of developing chronic stress. Because stress sets in very gradually and insidiously, we don’t always realize it until an alert sometimes comes from the environment. So take stock by asking yourself the right questions and identify the symptoms of stress. Then, you can move on to stress management.
Stress: illness or vital reflex?
Originally, stress is not an illness, but a useful reaction that allows us to defend ourselves against external aggressions through vital reflexes. It is only sometimes that these beautiful reflexes take hold, leading to anticipations and exaggerated responses. Then the symptoms of stress appear, which gradually become bothersome, even debilitating. In the long term, stress can also promote many illnesses: anxiety, insomnia, depression, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular diseases, digestive disorders, hormonal disorders…
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Stress generates symptoms in three emotional areas
- Emotional: irritation, nervousness, anxiety, melancholy, impaired concentration, memory, low self-esteem, malaise, decreased libido…
- Behavioral: withdrawal, disorganization, difficult and conflictual social and romantic relationships, tendency towards addiction (high consumption of alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, sugar, drugs, etc.)
- Physical: fatigue, insomnia, dizziness, accelerated heart rate, headaches, digestive disorders, lower back pain or neck pain, feeling of tightness, unusual sweating, appetite disturbances…
Are you worried? Stress symptoms that don’t lie
- Difficulty making decisions.
- Quickly irritable in difficult situations.
- Reduced relational, negative, and conflictual.
- Loss of appetite (increased in 2/3 of cases).
- Memory lapses and inattention.
- Fatigue, feeling exhausted at the end of the day.
- Insomnia despite fatigue and waking up tired.
- Decrease in self-esteem and self-confidence.
- Intellectual difficulties, trouble performing simple tasks.
- Fatigue, sadness, demotivation, declining desire, pleasures.
The foundations of good stress management
Whatever the cause and context of chronic stress, it can have serious effects on physical and mental health. Here is a 4-step action plan:
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- In case of severe stress, seek help from your doctor.
- If necessary, reassess your work situation to change it, as the number one stress factor is work!
- Redefine your goals and means, reorganize, change positions, improve communication within the company, etc.
- In any case, fighting stress involves improving lifestyle hygiene: balanced nutrition, regular physical activity, free time, leisure, social relationships…
Many techniques help learn to react better to stressful events and increase stress resistance. Make your choice: meditation, relaxation, yoga, cognitive therapy, and
At the same time, know that a lack of magnesium has been associated with manifestations such as stress, nervousness, irritability, fatigue, difficulty falling asleep, impaired concentration, etc. (1) Don’t hesitate to take magnesium, which can help reduce fatigue and contribute to normal psychological functions.
How to manage your stress: the 12 reflexes to apply every day
- I think positively and stop complaining.
- I take my time and give myself free time alone.
- I externalize my feelings by talking with others.
- I set my limits and learn to say no.
- I let go of the impossible.
- I take a step back.
- I learn to organize myself.
- I engage in regular physical activity.
- I know how to relax, I learn to breathe and meditate.
- I separate and balance professional, social, and family life.
- I develop my self-confidence.
- I think about my priorities, what is important to me.
(1) Boyle N.-B. et al., The effects of magnesium supplementation on subjective anxiety and stress – Systematic review, Nutrients, 2017, 9 (5), pii: E429, DOI:10.3390/NU9050429.
Tag: arm pain and stress