Hidden Signs of Stress

HIDDEN Signs of STRESS

"I don't feel that stressed," he told me.

As I scanned my list of notes, a few red flags jumped out at me...

Low drive and motivation --> he had a demanding job but wasn’t excited about it.
Impulse control --> he mentioned binge and emotional eating occurrences.
Excessive TV/video game use --> This was his go-to stress management tactic when I asked what he did to relax (up to 4 hours/day).
Unpredictable GI issues --> Sometimes after meals and sometimes out of the blue.

We were about 30 minutes into our call, and it was becoming clear that he may be a person who wasn't outwardly affected by stress, but his body and mind were telling a different story.

Much of the conversations around stress focus on VISIBLY stressed humans - but unprocessed or acknowledged stress comes with consequences as well. Perhaps the worst part is that in most cases, the person isn't even aware how their stress is affecting their life.

HIDDEN SIGNS OF STRESS

Low libido
Lack of motivation
Poor drive or purpose
Impulse control or spending
Impatience
Road rage
Watching excessive amounts of tv or video games
Introversion
Excessive social activities
Negative outlook on life, people or society
Using food as comfort

The brain wants to protect the body. Even when we don't realize it, our body is utilizing checkpoints to keep us at homeostasis - metabolism, energy or stress - so learning to interpret the signals is KEY.

And as an important side not, medicating with food, alcohol, tv or social media is a short-term coping strategy with long-term consequences. Full stop.