Signs and symptoms of stress

Physical symptoms are accompanied by thoughts, feelings and these come out in behaviours. You can see a more detailed list of these physical symptoms in our stress diagram.

We often think about the more obvious physical things such as a pounding heart, a tightness of the chest or trembling, but there are also physical responses at the opposite end like tiredness and forgetfulness.

Our thoughts can be difficult to manage, and we might lose our perspective which can result in us trying too hard to control things and demanding too much of ourselves, or perhaps feeling like you have lost meaning and purpose. 

When struggling with stress, feelings can be wide ranging too from being irritable and angry to perhaps feeling depressed or tearful.  

This all can come out in our behaviours. These too can look very different as people try to manage their thought, feelings and physical responses. We might become more focused on getting things done and getting back in control which might lead to us working longer hours and not taking breaks, perhaps becoming impatient or even aggressive.

Some of us might find that we become quite withdrawn and keep putting things off. We might find it hard to focus which can result in being a bit careless or accident prone. 

We asked some RCN members, “How do you know when you are feeling stressed?”:

"When I have a headache and feeling detached."

Chucks Ifeajuna, RCN Safety Rep

"When I stop doing the things that I find helped me to relax stop paying attention to the things that are going on around me. It’s like there's too much noise in my head, and I can't concentrate on doing the things that make me feel more calm, more settled and more relaxed."

Carl Richmond, RCN Member

"When I stop eating… I can't sleep and I'm thinking all the time, the same thing. I lose confidence and question myself. And I smoke more than usual."

Mihaela Chiribau, RCN Member

"When I have no energy and I feel irritated and I'm very snappy."

Virnanette Yule, RCN Member

These are just some of the signs and symptoms. In our Stress and You resource, you can explore these more fully and look at some of the strategies and support you might find helpful.