A little stress can work as a motivating factor for you but what if your stress becomes overwhelming? It can make you forget little things and make things hard for you even if they seem easy. Follow this article to learn more about the signs that someone you know is dealing with stress and how to help someone who is stressed.
Stress can be extremely overwhelming for a person. Everyone gets stressed in life, over bills, relationships, work deadlines, and health issues. Also a little stress can work as a motivating factor, it can help us get things done faster. But have you ever seen someone getting overwhelmed with stress? You do not see them participating in any activity like before, instead they seem lost to you. You see drastic changes in their appetite and in their appearance. But all of a sudden you notice that they are falling behind on their every task and spacing out.
Initially you have no idea about how you can address this situation but you also know that you cannot let your friend suffer like this. It can be difficult for you to talk to them directly about it because you know they will deny everything you say to them. But you must be a strong person for your loved one’s to lean on. Someone they can count on in difficult times like these.
Follow this article to explore more about the signs that someone you know is dealing with stress and how to help someone who is stressed.
Table of Contents
What are the signs that someone you know is dealing with stress?
Initially the signs of stress in someone may not be very clear. They may show common signs of stress that are present in everyone. But when these stress signs start to get overwhelming it is then when things go out of hand. It may not be easy for you to pinpoint the signs of stress in someone because they might be too subtle in the start. Here are some common signs of stress that can help you know if the person is dealing with stress or not.
- No participation
- They are isolating themselves from their family and friends
- Less productivity at work
- Changes in appetite
- Dramatic weight loss
- Looking tired and sad
- They are facing trouble coping with everyday challenges
- Feeling irritated or aggressive more easily
- Frequent negative comments about themselves
- Taking up negative habits such as smoking and drinking
- Trouble making decisions
No participation:
When a person is dealing with overwhelming stress then, they will cut themselves off from every activity that used to bring them joy. Everything that they used to enjoy, now suddenly holds no meaning to them. They won’t be able to think about anything that used to make them feel good, this is a sign that someone is dealing with stress and it is getting overwhelming for them, almost unbearable.
They are isolating themselves from their family and friends:
They start to ignore everyone around them. Their mind is no longer with them, it is constantly dealing with the problem they are stressed about. During this, they will start to ignore their family and friends, making it obvious that something is going on in their mind and it is slowly eating them up. So much so, that the time they used to enjoy with their family and friends is now spent in isolation.
Less productivity at work:
If something is constantly on your mind then, how are you going to focus on anything else? The same goes for when someone is stressed, they will pay less attention at work and this will affect their work poorly. They won’t be productive like before and this might end up with them losing their job because of stress.
Changes in appetite:
When someone is dealing with overwhelming stress you will start to notice sudden changes in their appetite. You will notice that they have started eating way less than they used to, even if they are having their favorite meal. The stress they are dealing with is so severe that no amount of comfort food can make it all go away.
Dramatic weight loss:
When someone is not eating properly and is constantly under stress then, it is natural they will face weight loss. Their physical health will be highly affected with the amount of stress they are under. This is one of the major signs that someone you know is under overwhelming stress, which is almost intolerable for them.
Looking tired and sad:
A person who is stressed will isolate themselves from the rest of the world and will not participate in any activity. This will always be tiring and there will be an underlying sadness surrounding them. They will try to force a smile for you when you are talking to them but nothing can hide the sadness which is the result of unmanageable stress.
They are facing trouble coping with everyday challenges:
When a person is stressed then, they will have a hard time fulfilling their daily challenges. They will not be able to pay attention and their less productivity rate at work will create hurdles for them. They will face trouble in completing their daily tasks. They will forget about little things because their mind is not in a healthy condition. They will try their best to deal with the situation at hand but when things go downhill then, they will also feel dejected.
Feeling irritated or aggressive more easily:
A person who is dealing with staggering stress will also face extreme mood swings. One minute they will feel hopeless and the next minute they will feel aggressive. It is not in their hands to control their emotions, their mind is already dealing with a lot of different stress factors. That is why they are acting irritated and aggressive more easily. This is one of the major signs that someone is dealing with immense stress.
Frequent negative comments about themselves:
When someone is dealing with immense stress then you might notice them talking bad about themselves. It is because they feel hopeless and when they fall behind on their tasks or fail to deliver their best then, feelings of worthlessness will develop and they will constantly say negative things about themselves.
Taking up negative habits such as smoking and drinking:
A person who is going through overwhelming stress is most likely to develop addiction like smoking or drinking. This is their way of coping with stress. Alcohol will temporarily numb their senses and this will give them some time away from whatever stress they are dealing with.
Trouble making decisions:
When a person is dealing with overwhelming stress then, they will have a hard time making decisions for themselves. Their mind is already filled with a lot of things, so they are unable to make any decision. They will have trouble making any sort of decision because the entire time their mind will be coped up with the stress factors.
How can stress affect your everyday life?
It is a fact that stress affects you in more than one way. When a person is stressed then they will be unable to focus on anything in their life. Their entire mind will be entangled in the stress factors. If you want to know how stress affects your life when it becomes overpowering then, following are some ways in which stress can negatively affect your life.
- Poor judgment
- Self doubt
- Brain fog
- Depression
- High blood pressure
- Insomnia
- Frequent colds
Poor judgment:
Stress can cloud your judgment. You will not be able to pay attention towards important things and this might cost you a lot. You will be dealing with all the factors that are causing you stress and when it gets overwhelming for you then, it will start coming in between your everyday routine.
Self doubt:
You will always doubt yourself. You will constantly give yourself negative feedback and you will think that no matter what you do the end result is going to be wrong. When you are stressed about something, you will have a hard time being productive and this will negatively affect your self esteem. Thus, making you doubt yourself at every turn.
Brain fog:
Dealing with overwhelming stress can make you forgetful, confused at times, and you will have a hard time focusing on things. You will often space out and will not have any idea about what is going on around you. Nothing will interest you anymore and often you will be confused even by simple things.
Depression:
When a person is dealing with stress then, it is natural they will feel depressed if they do not do anything for their stress. The negative self-talk, brain fog, and self doubt will only make things worse for you in the long run. Depression will make you isolate yourself from others and you will start to drift apart from everything that used to excite you or made you happy.
High blood pressure:
Stress will affect your health a lot. When a person is constantly under stress and it is getting overwhelming for them then, there is a high chance of them having problems in regulation of blood pressure. They might have to deal with high blood pressure because of all the stress they have been under.
Insomnia:
A person who is dealing with immense stress will either sleep a lot or they will not be able to sleep at all. They will not be able to sleep peacefully because their mind will constantly work on the stress factors. This can lead to anxiety and cynicism.
Frequent cold:
A person who is constantly dealing with stress will always be under depression and anxiety. Which can lead to high blood pressure and insomnia. If your brain is not getting proper rest then, your body will start reacting negatively. Often you will see people who are dealing with stress get sick time and again.
How to help someone who is stressed?
It may be hard for you to know how you can help someone who is under a lot of stress. But if you do not do anything for them it is worse. Initially you might tell them that they do not have to worry about things. But this is not it, here are some tips on how to help someone who is stressed.
- Listen to them
- Validate their emotions
- Offer reassurance
- Help them figure out their triggers
- Offer your support
- Help them find a professional help
- Look after yourself
Listen to them:
The best thing you can do for them is to listen to what they have to say. It will take some time for them to trust you with what they are dealing with. But once they start to trust you enough to let you in then, they will be able to share their problems with you. They will tell you about their stress and when you listen to them then, they will feel light and maybe their stress levels will come down a little.
Validate their emotions:
When you listen to them then, you will realize that they are going through a lot of emotions. And a lot of times they think that their emotions are not necessary and they are nothing but worthless. If you want to help someone who is stressed then listen to them and understand their emotions, and not just understand and give value to their emotions. Tell them that whatever they are feeling is valid and there is nothing wrong with what they are feeling.
Offer reassurance:
Reassure them that everything is going to be fine. Most of the time you will find them lost and confused, in that case you can offer them help and support. They already are having a hard time. If your little bit of reassurance can help them then, why not?
Help them figure out their triggers:
Another thing that you can do to help someone who is dealing with stress is to help them figure out their triggers. Listen to them and figure out what makes them frustrated or aggressive. Share your thoughts with them and help them get over their fears and reassure them that everything is going to be fine.
Offer your support:
Figure out what is making them feel overwhelming stress. If they are dealing with financial stress then, maybe you can help them by providing them some support if possible. If they are dealing with personal stress like facing a hard time in a relationship then, you can be a good listener to them.
Help them find a professional help:
If you see someone dealing with immense stress and you know that it is now affecting their health. To help them get over this overpowering feeling, you can help them find a professional therapist. They will be able to help them let go of something that they have been dealing with for so long.
Look after yourself:
There is a high chance that when you are close to the person who is stressed, you also start getting stressed. In that case, you must also take care of yourself. If you are not feeling fine, if you are getting stressed then how will you help someone else? So, you must look after yourself, it is important that you feel fine before you help someone else.
Conclusion:
It can be a little difficult for you to know how you are going to help someone who is stressed. You do not know what is the cause behind their stress, you do not know if they are willing to share or not, and you do not know how you are going to bring up this subject with them. You just know that someone is dealing with overwhelming stress and now it has started negatively affecting their mental and physical health. They get sick frequently and there is a dramatic change in their weight as well.
If you want to help someone who is stressed then, the first and foremost thing to do is to make them open up to you. If they trust you and they are comfortable with you then, they will start sharing their problems and their feelings with you. Also you must be a good listener to them and understand their emotions. Time and again they labeled their emotions as worthless, now if you want to help them then, understand them and be their support. Give value to their emotions and offer them reassurance.
