How to Recognise the Short-Term Effects of Stress

Throughout our lives; we have good days and we have bad days. Various challenges present themselves and need to be overcome. Sometimes, this is simple. Great! Other times though, we are put under stress and find ourselves forced to contend with more than the situation but made to pay the physical, emotional and mental charge demanded of us. You see, stress is the body’s reaction to the uncomfortable and abnormal; it is a manifestation of your fight-or-flight instinct and is a core component of us all. Throughout my life I’ve become quite familiar with the condition. Events and struggles mean I have seen its effects run amok and have had to learn to manage (with varying degrees of success). When an attack occurs, changes happen so swift it is scary. Learning to recognise the short-term effects is an efficient and powerful tool to overcoming and managing stress.

This is a massive oversimplification; but when we’re subject to stressors (stimuli that trigger fight-or-flight) hormones (such as Cortisol, Norepinephrine and Adrenaline) are immediately released. Bodily functions go into overdrive and blood-sugar levels elevate more and more.

Naturally, with these changes come a wide variety of physical symptoms. Personally; I’m prone to changes in appetite, sweating, stomach problems, headaches, heart palpitations, muscle tension, chest pains and exhaustion. These are all quite common short-term reactions but some others you might also expect, are: dry mouth, insomnia and a change in sex drive.

Emotionally and mentally; more immediate symptoms are sadness, irritability, restlessness, anxiety, mood swings and lack of focus. This can all lead to feeling overwhelmed and struggling to process or deal with both the actual stressors.

Stress is painful and uncomfortable in the short-term but in the long-term however it can become fatal if unhandled.

The Busy Papa

Also known as Aaron, The Busy Papa focuses on lifestyle, parenting and personal wellbeing content. He has two decades experience in creative writing (including several published poems) and strongly dislikes (though tolerates) tomatoes.