Know when stress is a problem

Be mindful of warning signs when you feel overwhelmed and mostly seem unable to cope for long periods of time. Stress often manifests itself in physical symptoms like headaches, heart palpitations, neck, back and shoulder aches, chest pain; allergic reactions such as eczema or asthma, stomach upset, low mood and reduced concentration.

If excessive stress is interfering with your ability to work properly, enjoy life or you continually feel unable to function at the level you used to for, it may be time to seek professional help.

Take action:

Psychologists stress the importance of not ignoring stress overload. Seeing a mental health professional like a psychologist or psychiatrist can help you identify situations and behaviours contributing to your stress and help you make changes to things within your control. Speak to your GP about referring you to a psychologist to help you manage your stress better.