Stress symptoms: Effects on your body and behavior

Date Updated: 08/10/2023

Stress symptoms may be affecting your health, even though you might not know it. You may blame sickness for that annoying headache, your sleeping troubles, feeling unwell or your lack of focus at work. But stress may really be the cause.

Common effects of stress

Stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior. Knowing common stress symptoms can help you manage them. Stress that's not dealt with can lead to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, obesity and diabetes.

Common effects of stress
On your body	On your mood	On your behavior
Headache	Anxiety	Overeating or undereating
Muscle tension or pain	Restlessness	Angry outbursts
Chest pain	Lack of motivation or focus	Drug or alcohol misuse
Fatigue	Memory problems	Tobacco use
Change in sex drive	Feeling overwhelmed	Avoiding friends and staying at home
Stomach upset	Grumpiness or anger	Exercising less often
Sleep problems	Sadness or depression
Getting sick easier due to a weaker immune system

Act to manage stress

If you have stress symptoms, taking steps to manage your stress can have many health benefits. Check out many possible stress management tips. For example:

Get regular physical activity on most days of the week.
Practice relaxation techniques. Try deep breathing, meditation, yoga, tai chi or massage.
Keep a sense of humor.
Spend time with family and friends.
Set aside time for hobbies. Read a book, listen to music or go for a walk. Schedule time for your passions.
Write in a journal.
Get enough sleep.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
Stay away from tobacco and alcohol use, and use of illegal substances.

Aim to find active ways to manage your stress. Idle ways to manage stress that don't get you moving may seem relaxing. But they may make your stress go up over time. Examples are watching television, going on the internet or playing video games.

When to ask for help

If you're not sure if stress is the cause, or if you've taken steps to control your stress but you keep having symptoms, see your health care provider. Your health care provider may want to check for other potential causes. Or think about seeing a counselor or therapist, who can help you find the sources of your stress and learn new coping tools. And if you are concerned about harming yourself, call 911 or a suicide hotline.

Also, get emergency help right away if you have chest pain, especially if you also have shortness of breath; jaw, back, shoulder or arm pain; sweating; dizziness; or nausea. These may be warning signs of a heart attack and not simply stress symptoms.