How To Recognize Early Signs Of Stress Sickness According To Nurses

Whether breaking the glass ceiling at work, managing social and family responsibilities, or keeping up with internet beauty standards, women face considerable pressure daily. Although you may feel inclined to push through, stress can have a long-term adverse effect on your overall health. Recognize the warning signs of stress sickness and take action on self-care before they overwhelm your already busy life.

Each person is unique, so symptoms may manifest in various ways. However, the following signs are nurse-verified red flags that may indicate you are experiencing stress sickness.

Your nervous system is working overtime to keep up with your mental load. You can become emotionally exhausted, which can leave you feeling drained all the time. Your sleep may also be affected, either leading to restlessness or insomnia, and stressing about getting enough sleep can lead to more stress and worse sleep.

Your brain and digestive system are linked through the central nervous system, which means any changes or trouble in your gut can be an unpleasant effect of stress. You may also experience tension headaches or migraines.

When your body doesn’t get the rest it needs, you can become more sensitive and irritable. Ryan Martin, PhD, indicated that irritability is a “big hodgepodge of negative emotions” and that “when people are irritable, they’re also anxious, they’re also angry, they’re also sad.” Stress can both trigger and prolong these moods.

The inability to think clearly or recall important information has earned the name “brain fog,” and prolonged stress can keep you in that cloudy state. It can leave you feeling very disconnected from yourself.

You may find yourself breaking out, gaining or losing weight unexpectedly, with a worsening memory, or even getting sick more often. These are all indicators of your body’s reaction to a stressful situation as it tries to maintain its functioning at a high level.

When you’re experiencing high levels of stress, your hormones are impacted. The part of your brain that regulates key hormones like estrogen and progesterone becomes overworked, leaving them imbalanced.

Stress sickness is your body’s reaction to enduring ongoing pressure. Stress can affect you physically, mentally and emotionally. Your body can induce illness or physical reactions because your autonomic nervous system essentially is stuck in its fight-flight-freeze mode.

Women are prone to stress sickness, considering factors like the heavy mental loads of everyday life, emotional labor in relationships and the professional pressures they encounter. According to an American Psychological Association survey in 2023, women reported feeling higher stress levels in higher quantities than men.

Despite higher levels of stress, they tend to dismiss their health. Reports indicated that 80% of women ignore symptoms they deemed not serious. Some attribute this statistic to the perception that some symptoms are normal. However, advice from leading health care professionals can help you identify when enough is enough.

Many women may recognize these symptoms and live with them in their daily lives. Unfortunately, the stressors you face may contribute to a self-perpetuating cycle of overworking and ignoring them, which can exacerbate them. Try these tips to help you regulate your stress levels:

• Set boundaries: Knowing when to say “no” is a valuable life skill that can help take stressors off your plate. It’s OK to step away.
• Take breaks: Take time away from others, your responsibilities and even screens, and do something just for you.
• Practice mindfulness, meditation and movement: Even when you’re busy, 5-minute yoga videos or Micro Meditation can reduce your day-to-day stress levels.

Women can do it all, but they don’t have to. Taking time to rest and recover is just as valuable as all the productive things you do on a regular basis. Stress sickness can manifest in a multitude of ways, but recognizing the early signs can help ensure you prioritize your health before the symptoms worsen.