If you've been overdoing things, your body has a way of telling you.

If you recognise any of the following symptoms, you may be suffering from the effects of stress, or overfilling your programme:

• headaches
• disturbed sleep
• feelings of anxiety
• tension
• irrational and inappropriate bursts of anger and aggression
• struggling to concentrate
• depression
• increased or decreased appetite 

In severe situations you could experience overwhelming stress to the point of so-called burn-out, experiencing extreme fatigue and loss of interest in normal activities.

Since research has shown that high levels of stress have a negative impact on our immune systems, and hence on our general state of health, it is not unusual for the stressed-out among us to suffer constantly from colds, or other infections or illnesses.

Feeling overwhelmed?

But stress is very much part of the modern lifestyle – traffic, interest rates, school activities and meetings, meetings, meetings. Take some time to learn a few stress management techniques such as:

• Change your diet a little.
• Ask our Natural Pain Relief expert ,or our Tai chi expert about finding a few stretches and moves that will help rid you of that feeling of tightness.
• Take some time to follow the steps of a stress management programme.
• Write in to FitnessDoc, CyberShrink or CyberDoc for any additional de-stressing advice.

Read more:

10 workplace stressors 

Tension headaches

(Joanne Hart, Health24, updated July 2009)