How Much Stress Is Tolerable?
Hi
You might have a stressful job – or you have to deal with a long commute on your way to getting to that job. Maybe you’re going through some personal issues that have your stomach in knots.
Stress is a regular part of life and sometimes it can be beneficial because it can motivate you to choose to make changes in your life. But you can reach a point where you just have too much stress.
When that happens, the stress starts to wear you down mentally and physically. You can reach a point where you’re about to experience a stress melt-down. Knowing whether you have a normal amount of stress can depend on what you’re doing in life – what your goals are.
Some goals are more stressful than others, so you’ll encounter more stress. It could also depend on your health. When you’re in poor health, it can make dealing with stress a lot harder than it is for someone who’s healthier.
The amount of stress that’s tolerable depends on different factors. It could be that you have the kind of personality that can carry more stress than someone else. Or maybe your personality is the type where you can’t take as much stress as the next person.
Neither is wrong, it’s just the way you deal with emotions. A normal amount of stress is when you’re able to deal with whatever is going on without feeling flustered or consistently overwhelmed.
The stress doesn’t keep you awake at night. It doesn’t impact your appetite and cause you to not be able to eat. It doesn’t interfere with your day-to-day living and you’re able to carry on like normal.
There are signs that will occur when you have too much stress and it needs to be addressed. You’ll start to experience physical symptoms that something is wrong. People with too much stress often develop recurring headaches.
You may also encounter pain that’s long-lasting. Some people end up with muscle or back pain – or they might have stomachaches that keep coming back. You might develop insomnia and feel sick, even though it’s nothing you can put your finger on.
Going to the doctor doesn’t reveal anything. If you’re dealing with too much stress, it can show up on your skin. You might have breakouts and suddenly have to start dealing with acne, even as an adult.
You might get sick more often because your immune system is being affected by the stress. You might develop mood swings and feel angry or sad. You’ll notice a lack of energy and may often feel fatigued.
You might eat too much or seek comfort in food. You can have stress in different areas of your life and these can combine to create a supercell of stress that’s too much because it’s coming at you from all sides.
The key to remember is that if you start behaving in ways outside of your ordinary reactions, or you begin to experience physical symptoms you didn’t previously have, that can be your body trying to warn you that it can’t tolerate the stress load you’re under.
