As the famous quote by Hans Selye says; “It’s not stress which kills us, it is our reaction to it”.
People will often say after a particularly unpleasant conversation or situation “oh, so-and-so didn’t mean it; it was just said in the heat of the moment”. But, how many unpleasant confrontations could be avoided if everyone took the time to become familiar with how they react when faced with a stressful situation, as well as recognising how those close to them react – be it a work colleague, boss, partner or, indeed, child?
The reality is that we all react to stress in different ways – physically, cognitively and behaviourally – so there can be lots of different cues to look out for. For example, people can react in opposing ways; while one person may want to hide in a room, another may want to talk through what has happened in detail. Alternatively, someone may go off their food, whilst another may eat the contents of the biscuit tin without even noticing.
Look through the following list and see if you recognise some of your common reactions within it, then look through it again and see if any are traits you’ve noticed in colleagues, friends or family members:
Physical Symptoms
Aches and pains e.g. headaches, muscle tension
Chest pain
Frequently catching colds and coughs
High blood pressure
Low sex drive
Stomach problems e.g. diarrhoea, constipation
Emotional Symptoms
Agitation
Anxiety
Depression
Feeling overwhelmed
Negative changes and fluctuations in mood
Volatile temper
Unable to deal with change
Cognitive Symptoms
Difficulty concentrating
Focussing on negatives and ignoring positives, perhaps sounding unusually cynical
Trouble with short term memory e.g. what happened this morning?
Worrying about small things and getting things out of proportion
Behavioural Symptoms
Avoiding certain situations and/or certain people
Becoming withdrawn
Changes in appearance e.g. looking exhausted or unkempt
Compulsive behaviours e.g. checking the door is locked many times, tapping a leg up and down
Difficulty sleeping and/or sleep disorders
Increased dependence on or misuse of alcohol, cigarettes or drugs
Irritability and being on a short fuse
Loss of a sense of humour
Over eating or under eating
It is useful to look at how you and others behave in a stressful situation which is then resolved and can be put down to “having a really bad day”. The important thing to remember is that stress becomes a problem when chronic stress sets in and these changes start to take root and continue over a longer period. Being aware of the signs and symptoms of stress is a good first step in recognising it in yourself and those around you.
Categories
Recent articles on our blog....
Do you seek or avoid conversations about grief at work?
For this year’s National Grief Awareness Week (2 – 8 December) we have reviewed and updated the section on grief within our mental health resources and consider why we may avoid conversations about grief at work.
Read More →Communication at work – be aware of the pitfalls of co-rumination
We offer 5 tips for helping to develop healthy interactions at work in order to increase wellbeing and avoid co-rumination.
Read More →Testimonials

Our purpose is to provide training and consultancy services to enhance resilience, health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Differentiation is one of the most strategic and tactical activities in which companies most constantly engage

It's natural to have questions about training and how it fits with your organisation. Our FAQs can help you find out more.

View case studies for some of the in-house training courses we have delivered to different types of organisations across the UK.