Mindtech Associates

Monitoring your stress levels.

It is important to monitor your stress levels. Most of us don't always appreciate how and why our stress levels have become so out of balance. Stress levels can rise rapidly, without you noticing that it is happening, until your physical and mental health have deteriorated to such a point that recovery is far harder.

At times of over-stress, it can be extremely hard to put your finger on the precise nature of the problem; everything, work, life, just living, can become harder and harder to cope with, until you feel that there is not much that you can do about it.

On the other hand, you may be fully aware of the reasons why you are feeling so stressed, or apathetic, yet the feeling of being trapped by the causes of your difficulties can be so strong that you can become more stressed, making it appear difficult to do much about it. But there is something that we can all do about it, and that is to learn to control the negative effects of stress on our mind and body.

It is extremely important to monitor yourself for any build up of the negative effects that stress can have upon you. By monitoring your stress levels you can learn to avoid the build up of unnecessary levels of stress. Keep your eyes open for the tell-tale effects that stress can have on your mind and body.

At times of crisis, or even a perceived crisis, you may get a sudden surge of the hormones Adrenaline, Noradrenaline and Cortisol into your bloodstream, giving rise to feelings of panic, fear, anxiety, and so on.

At such times it can feel as if there is little or nothing you can do about it. When your body is suffering from excess stress it sends out distress signals. Listen to it. Don't ignore the signs that may be given to you. Be Vigilant. It is essential to recognise the symptoms of stress, and to take prompt action.

Be aware of warning signs, such as:

breathing becomes shallow
heart rate goes up, and sometimes races
blood pressure goes up
blood sugar levels are increased
you can at times feel detached from the world, on a high (caused by too much Noradrenaline)
being unable to perform work or tasks as well as you used to, clouded judgement.
your concentration becomes impaired.
feelings of fatigue, even after a night's sleep (caused by too much Adrenaline).
you can become very irritable, agitated, for no apparent reason. (Caused by too much Adrenaline)
you may suffer a loss of confidence, and a loss of enthusiasm.
you can gain an increasingly cynical outlook.
you can suffer from sleeplessness, and, especially, early waking.
your sex drive can become lower, or you can feel sexually unsatisfied.
you may start to have a greater dependency on alchohol, caffeine, nicotine or drugs.
aches and pains can increase, especially in the neck, head, jaw, lower back and shoulders, colds and flu (caused by too much Cortisol).
your appetite can alter to either a desire to go on a binge, especially on sweet, sugary foods, or, you may suffer a loss of all appetite.
Short-tempered
unusual clumsiness
chest pains
with extreme stress, bowels may loosen
feel depressed, tearful, irritable
All over tension
excessive perspiration

How many of these signs do you recognise in yourself? Make a note of all of the warning signs that you recognise, and if you feel you can't control your stress, then it's time to seek professional help. Look in the Mindtech directory.

By being able to deal with and control your stress, you will be able to do away with those excessive effects that are not good for you.

Don't ignore the symptoms of stress.

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