physical signs
Our bodies react to stress in lots of physical ways. That’s because our autonomic nervous systems – which controls our heart rate, breathing, vision, and more – go into overdrive.
This “fight-or-flight response”, is designed to help the body face stressful situations, but it can be difficult to spot in other people. Some of the signs include:
- sweating more than usual
- twitching
- dizziness or shaking
- smoking and/or drinking more than normal
- digestive problems, such as IBS or nausea
- eating unhealthily, or a loss of appetite
- sleeping issues
emotional signals
Stress also has a powerful impact on how someone feels and behaves, so look out for changes in other people’s moods and what they say/do. Ask yourself the following questions:
- do they seem more anxious or irritable than usual?
- do they become quickly frustrated or easily overwhelmed?
- are they losing their temper more quickly than they used to?
- are they constantly worrying?
- do they overthink things?
- have they lost their sense of humour?
- are they suffering from low self-esteem (especially if they didn’t used to)?
- do they struggle to concentrate or make decisions?
- do they shy away from difficult situations?
start a conversation
It’s not easy to admit we’re struggling. Someone feeling stressed may therefore become withdrawn or avoid engaging with others completely. If you think someone you know isn’t coping with stress, start a conversation with them.
You don’t have to be a stress counsellor, just a good listener. Allowing them to talk things through could help them find a solution on their own.
Don’t order them to tell you what’s wrong – this could cause them to close up. Instead, try open questions like “How are you feeling?” and “Are you OK? I’ve noticed you don’t seem like yourself lately.” These begin a dialogue that can lead to open and honest discussions.
find out if work is stressing them out
If the person feeling stressed is a work colleague who isn’t coping with their unrealistically heavy workload, persuade them to talk to their manager about it. They may be able to get their workload reduced. Admitting that they can’t do it all is the first step to getting things back under control. Suffering from stress at work is alarmingly common. Around half a million people in the UK claim stress at work is making them ill.
You can find more tips on tackling workplace stress and reducing workload here.
“I first got in touch with caba on behalf of my husband. He's a chartered accountant and had recently been unwell, which made both us think about how we handle stress in our lives.”
suggest getting active
Depending on your relationship with them, you could also encourage them to get involved in activities that may help them cope better.
For example, regular exercise often helps calm people down, which allows them to see their concerns more clearly, and maybe even find a solution to their source of stress.
You could suggest going out for a walk in the fresh air. Getting out in nature has proven benefits to our mood and mental wellbeing.
know where to get professional support
However, if you don’t feel comfortable having these discussions, or feel the individual needs professional advice, encourage them to seek help from their GP.
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