Part one may well be super boring, this is going to be how stress manifests itself in my body.
Part two will be how I try and manage or control that stress.
The background, what prompted this?
The job I have can sometimes be really, really, really, stressful. Especially for someone who is not a stranger to anxiety. Before starting work, it was generally social anxiety but now I just feel anxious, all of the time. I can't remember how it feels not to be so tightly sprung that any little off the cuff comment is liable to send me into hysterics. And the effect is has on my body can be pretty odd too...
My head.
If there is a period that is particularly hard going my scalp becomes really really dry and itchy, everywhere there is hair. Like, right from the front of my hairline, right through to the hairline at the back! That wouldn't be so bad on it's own... but the dandruff. I get the worst dandruff when I'm stressed! It doesn't even need to be particularly bad patch, anything slightly out of the ordinary, anything that makes me feel slightly nervous and whatever colour cardigan I'm wearing will develop white shoulder pads. I get concerned that people see me and think it's snowing!
My face.
Pretty standard here. My skin gets a hell of a lot greasier, and I get a lot (a lot a lot a lot) of "under the skin" spots. I used to have skin that was pretty close to entirely clear, so developing a mass of spots out of nowhere is terrifying, especially seeing as I have no idea how to treat them! The worst part is they stay there, safely nestled in the layers of my skin until that period of stress is entirely over. It's rubbish. I recently had them for over a month!
My nails.
I have rubbish nails anyway, they're sensitive, peel off in layers, flake, and snap. When I'm having a rough time, I have to cut them all the way down so avoid them catching on things and tipping me over the edge (does is make anyone else feel sick when a loose part of the nail catches in something? I literally, physically gag.)
General Wellbeing.
Constant headache, hot and cold sweats, panic/anxiety "attacks" ( 2 or 3 a day is a safe bet), feeling like I can't take enough air to fill my lungs, waking up in the middle of the night (I have a terrible habit of counting, and it's usually 7 times). And I cry. I can't stop myself crying. Even when there is nothing in particular to cry about, my eyes will almost constantly water.
Does anyone else have any odd side effects to stress or anxiety?
How do you deal with it?
I suffer from stress and anxiety a fair bit too. Although to be fair it doesn't seem to manifest as drastically. I completely sympathise with the 'General Wellbeing' bit though. I'll get loss of appetite, headaches, and dizziness etc Face-wise, i get quite spotty around my chin and forehead area.
ReplyDeletePhysiologically, stress can really take its toll, and it isn't nice when the solution isn't as simple as just being 'less stressed'. Hope you start to feel better soon. x
I hope you feel better soon! I get really cranky and my hair tends to fall out when I'm stressed out. And I break out massively. A trick I learned to destress: try thinking of the ocean or a creek or anyother big body of water. It helps calm me down quite quickly.
ReplyDeleteDaphne | Peanut Butter and Chocolate | bloglovin'
I suffer from sever anxiety - headaches, dizziness. It a horrible feeling and made worse when someone tells me, just relax and quit stressing. Very frustrating and if I could obviously I would not stress but such is life. Great post.
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