Are You Stressed? 6 Telltale Signs to Watch Out For

Hello friends,

Welcome back on another journey towards a Steady Mind.

It's 2025! And I think one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves this year is the knack for self-awareness. If you're anything like me, where your mind can go a thousand miles a minute; then you too, have a PhD in "stressing yourself out."

Trust me, I get it. We all have desires, dreams we're chasing, goals we want to achieve, lifestyles we want to live, and jobs (or businesses) that apply pressure. But, sometimes we can be so consumed by what we want to accomplish that we don't make time to listen to what our minds, bodies, and souls are trying to communicate to us.

While no one is a stranger to high levels of stress, many of us are not aware of what it can look like at the moment. I am no licensed therapist or professional counselor. So, the following information is not to be considered "professional advice."

But, here are my top six (6) indicators that I am under stress and maybe you can identify.

Sign One: You Have Frequent Mood Swings

When handling a stressful situation or environment, it is easy for every minor inconvenience to become the "needle that breaks the camel's back." Whether you become easily annoyed or find your mood changing too frequently at the slightest bit of inconvenience or culture shift, you might be under some sort of stress.

Mood swings aren't taboo. Rather, they're indicators that there is a deeper issue affecting your emotional and mental capacity. Once identified, addressed, and regulated, we should then learn healthy boundaries for ourselves and manage the expectations of others so that we can avoid ending up in the same situations.

Sign Two: You Desire More Alone Time Than Usual

This is no shade to my fellow introverts. If you thrive in solitude - I get it. However, one of the most natural responses to stress is withdrawal. If you find that you've recently lost the desire to be around any community, carry out your usual routines, or simply get out of the house, there might be some unidentified stress.

In instances like these, there comes a time when you'd have to force yourself back into your routine or create a new one. Getting back into the "grove of things" can help to both stimulate the mind and find your motivation. Accountability within your community is always a benefit. Being vulnerable enough to tell them what you are feeling allows them to get involved and help ease your burden.

Sign Three: You Lack Motivation

You were never created to live a mundane life. In every human, there is a passion for something. When we find ourselves with a loss of motivation it is usually because we are so consumed by what is going on in our lives presently (ie. stress) that we have no desire to hope or strategize for the future.

Where there is a lack of motivation, there is also a lack of hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel you’re in. The goal should be to find the root of your worry and the heart of your difficult situation. Once located, the new motivation should be to surround yourself with those who can help you build the strategy or ladder that lifts you out of mental anguish.

Sign Four: You're Suffering From Body Ailments

It is only a matter of time before your body begins to communicate what is going on in your mental and emotional space. Symptoms such as headaches, hypertension, chronic pain, acne, sexual dysfunctions, heart attacks, strokes, etc., can be telltale signs that the body is under some sort of stress.

When body ailments are prevalent medical attention should be sought immediately. Calling your local physician as soon as possible gives you the ability to mitigate the issue and gain insight on preventative measures.

If you think you are experiencing bodily discomfort due to stress, please contact your primary care physician urgently.

Sign Five: Heightened Habits and Behaviors

Another key indicator of stress is the heightening of adverse habits and behaviors. Our negative habits appear abrasively when we are under stress. Increased dependency on coping mechanisms such as drugs, alcohol, sleep, sex, partying, social media, porn, etc. are telltale signs that the mind, body, and (or) soul are seeking some sort of relief. Many times we find ourselves using coping mechanisms as the painkiller rather than dealing with the point of stress (or pain) itself.

Adverse behaviors such as not checking or responding to emails, texts, or calls (as usual), lashing out, changes in communication style, etc. can also be indicators of the same. With this, we must surround ourselves with people who can identify when our patterns are veering away from the person we are called to be. Then we can find the connection and deal with the issue at the root level.

Sign Six: Change in Thought Patterns

There is absolutely nothing wrong with changing your mind. You are entitled to do so. We must be sure that we aren't using a change of mind as a scapegoat from a stressful position; especially when this is not the particular remedy of choice.

Have you really "changed your mind" about accomplishing that goal? Or are you just not interested in learning to manage the stress that comes with the achieving accomplishment? There are many instances where stress isn't something that we can eliminate, but rather learn to manage better.

Conclusion

Again, stress is nothing uncommon. When we learn to identify it and categorize it well, we’ll realize that it is a bridge that we all must cross. As you take on the days ahead to learn your triggers, I leave you with the words of The Greatest Stress Reliever:

“Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads. I will give you rest. Accept my work and learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will find rest for your souls. The work that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is not heavy.”

Matthew 11:28-30 (ICB)

Until next time,

Here’s to a Steady Mind.