As previously described stress can manifest itself in many ways in our minds and bodies. We are all individuals with different and varying life experiences and have our own ways of responding to stress. Perhaps the next step we should take is to find out where in our bodies the stress is causing tension.

To begin, find 15 minutes in your day when you can sit quietly and not be disturbed. It helps if it is “the best time of day” for you. There is a theory that we all have a “best time of day” when we can concentrate better and achieve results. Personally I have to admit that this can change from day to day but, as I said, we are all individuals! Get comfortable. Sit relaxed in a chair or lie on a bed or couch.

Start by closing your eyes and breathe with a steady rhythmic motion. Don’t worry if this stage is the best you can achieve at your first attempt. This is not a race you are trying to win; it is the first step on the ladder to a better understanding of how and where stress is affecting you.

When you feel ready, start concentrating on each part of your body in turn. Again, you may find this difficult as all you can sense is your body as a whole- give yourself time.

As you work your way down, take notice of any feeling of tension. A key area for me is my neck followed quickly by the shoulders. The next key area for me is abdominal. This seems to also cause some tension in my thighs. Have you reached your toes? Why not work your way up again, you may find that some of the areas you noticed on the way down actually feel a little more relaxed now.

You have taken an important step in recognising that your body is holding tension and more importantly where you are holding that tension and have to concentrate your efforts to release.

Recognising Signs of Stress

So we know what stress is. We know it has been around in one form or another as long as there has been a life form with some intelligence. Certainly life forms that understood that their own life could be in danger. We can probably recognise it in other people but can we recognise it in ourselves?

Are you impatient and have a tendency to “snap” at people, especially those close to you? Think back, were you always this way or has it recently become the norm for you?

Headaches. Regular headaches or ones that do not seem to go away no matter how many painkillers you take.

Stiffness or soreness in your neck and / or shoulders as you turn your head from side to side.

Feeling of nausea or excess acid (heartburn) – caused by the tightening of your stomach muscles.

Tiredness. You have a good night’s sleep but wake up feeling as tired as when you went to bed.

Having three or four hours sleep waking and not being able to get back to sleep.

Constipation. Yes, even constipation. Not surprising really if we are holding our abdominal muscles taught all the time and not realising it.

Unable to concentrate for long periods or there is a “thought somewhere” but it just will not come to the fore.

Finding it difficult to relax no matter how tired you feel. When you are “relaxing” and watching television, are your legs still or do you have a foot tapping in mid air or on the ground?

Alternatively, you have a burst of energy in the morning but just feel like sleeping all afternoon.

Panic attacks. A feeling of panic that sweeps over you. You may hyperventilate or hallucinate, everyday objects “coming at you” or going out of shape.

Quite some list. I am sure you could add other tell-tale signs. Of course all the above may be signs and symptoms of the onset of other illnesses, something that must be taken into consideration.

Stress can cause all the above and can be a contributory factor to many illnesses of body and mind, this is why we need to try to control it.

You may identify one or more of the above in yourself and wonder why you have reached this state of mind. The next thing to do is to look back over the last few months. Have you had a death in the family that has affected you more than you think, gone through a divorce or separation from a partner, lost you job, been overworking, had a serious illness or noticed a change in health in a close relative? The list goes on.

Introduction to Stress

“You look stressed”. Ever heard that before? Yes, I had and assumed it was normal. Perhaps that is the problem, being stressed has become the norm.

Anthropologists say it is built into our genes. I have read that it goes back to the days when we needed to be mentally alert to run from or react to danger. That sounds a plausible explanation to me as does the statement that there are two types of stress, positive and negative. To achieve a result, especially to a timescale, we need the adrenalin flow to drive us to success but if that turns into overload too often then we are in trouble. After a period of “stress” or being “on a high” we need time to “come down”. If you don’t get that time, then in my experience it takes more than a little relaxation or personal time to relieve the stress.

When I was younger I do not remember feeling “stressed”. I felt a little pressured when examination time came around. In my first jobs I sometimes felt pressure but never to a level where I would describe it as stress. The other thing was that a good weekend cleared the mind, relaxed the body and prepared me for that Monday morning. I have noticed that as the grey appeared in my hair I became more stressed and it became more difficult to relax after great periods of stress. It is reassuring to read the experts view that this is normal.

So is stress a new thing? It is said that we live in stressful times. I am not sure that our lives are more stressful than our parents or grandparents; maybe it is a different kind of stress. Life is lived at a faster pace, of that there is no argument. I remember as a youngster hearing that someone “is living on their nerves” or “suffering with nerves”. Give it new name if you like but to me it is the same thing.