Signs and effects of stress
Stress can affect your body, mind, and emotions in ways that you may not always recognise. While stress is a natural part of life, it can feel confusing and overwhelming when it starts to impact your wellbeing.
Below, you can read about common ways stress can impact your mind and emotions.
- How you might be feeling
When you're feeling stressed, it’s common to experience a mix of emotions, sometimes without realising why.
You might feel:
- Uneasy or anxious: Constantly worrying about what’s ahead or feeling nervous for no clear reason
- Irritable or frustrated: Feeling on edge or getting annoyed more easily
- Overwhelmed: Like everything is too much and you’re struggling to keep up
- Restless: Finding it hard to switch off or relax, as if you’re always on alert
- Self-doubt: Stress can lower self-esteem, making you question your abilities or worth
- Sad or hopeless: Feeling down, unmotivated, or losing interest in things you used to enjoy.
These emotions can feel overwhelming, but it’s important to know that you’re not alone in feeling this way.
Stress impacts how we relate to ourselves and others, and recognising these feelings is the first step in finding ways to manage them.
- How you might be thinking
- How you might be acting
Understanding the physical impacts of stress
Sometimes, your body notices stress before you do.
Physical signs like the ones listed below can show up even when you don’t feel emotionally stressed, making it easy to overlook the connection.
- Tension, pain, and energy changes
- Muscle tightness: Stiffness or aches in your neck, shoulders, back, or jaw
- Headaches or migraines: Especially after a stressful day or poor sleep
- Jaw clenching or teeth grinding: Often happens without realising, especially at night
- Rapid breathing or a racing heart: Can make you feel dizzy or lightheaded
- Low energy and fatigue: Feeling drained, even without much activity
- Trouble sleeping: Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early.
- Body reactions and physical changes
Recognising these signs can help you tune in to what your body is telling you. If you’re noticing them often, it might be a sign that stress is affecting your wellbeing.
“I would sleep for 12 hours a day and wake up tired, unmotivated, and with no idea how I was going to get out of the situation.”
Even if you don’t know what to say, reaching out can help.
Ongoing stress can make it hard to cope, especially when it feels like things won’t get better. If stress is making you feel trapped, hopeless, or like you can’t see a way forward, you are not alone, and support is available.
You can connect with a Lifeline crisis supporter 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via 13 11 14, text, and chat. If life is in danger, call 000.
For more support resources for stress, you can:
- Find practical strategies to help you manage stress right now and in the long term
- Explore tools, apps, and real stories to help you cope with stress
- Connect with a support service for further information, resources, and referrals
- Click here to download, save, or print our stress fact sheet.
