Stress is not merely a bad mood or anxious thoughts – the whole body responds to it. Sometimes the body signals an excessive strain earlier than we admit to ourselves that we are already exhausted.
A morning that starts too fast
The alarm does not go off on time. You need to get ready in a rush, get the children ready, and reply to messages waiting on your phone. Even before reaching work, your shoulders are already tense, your breathing is shallow, and your heart is beating faster.
In the evening, a headache or stomach ache begins, but we tell ourselves: 'It is just a stressful period right now.' We hope to rest over the weekend and that everything will pass. But the weekend brings unfinished tasks, chores, and new worries.
One such day is usually not a problem for the body. The difficulties begin when this exceptional state becomes a daily routine.
What happens in the body during this time?
When faced with a challenge, the body prepares to act. Adrenaline is released, heart rate and breathing accelerate, blood pressure rises, and muscles tense. After about half an hour, cortisol levels may also increase.
This response helps us mobilise quickly. It was especially crucial when humans needed to run from real danger. Today, however, we more often 'run' from deadlines, bills, conflicts, information overload, and endless duties.
The body senses danger, but often experiences no physical release. If the tension does not stop, the body has less and less time to return to a state of calm and recovery.
When the smoke detector becomes too sensitive
Prolonged stress can be compared to an overly sensitive smoke detector. It is essential when a fire breaks out, but becomes exhausting if it starts wailing the moment a piece of toast gets burnt.
A similar thing can happen to the nervous system. Constantly prepared for danger, it begins to respond ever more rapidly to everyday difficulties. A minor remark at work, an unexpected phone call, or someone running late triggers a disproportionately intense tension.
Then physical signals also appear: fatigue, sleep disturbances, headaches, back or stomach aches, palpitations, sweating, muscle tension, and digestive changes. Stress can also exacerbate pre-existing health conditions.
Does this mean the symptoms are 'all in the head'?
This is precisely where misunderstandings often arise. Hearing the word 'psychosomatic', a person may feel as though their ailments are not believed. However, psychosomatic symptoms are not imagined.
The mind and body do not function separately. When we experience anxiety for a prolonged period, suppress emotions, live in conflict, or set excessive demands on ourselves, the body also experiences this strain. Therefore, an emotional burden can be felt very physically.
Nevertheless, the connection between the body and emotions should not become a convenient explanation for every ailment. New, severe, or long-lasting symptoms should be discussed with a doctor to assess potential medical causes.
How to listen to your body sooner?
Let us return to that rushed morning. Perhaps the first signal was not the evening headache, but the hunched shoulders and held breath back in the morning. The body was speaking all day, but the messages it sent were drowned out by duties.
It is worth asking yourself: when am I most tense? After what kind of conversations does my head start aching? When is my breathing shallow? What kind of fatigue am I trying to overcome with yet another cup of coffee?
Regular sleep, movement, short rest breaks, clearer boundaries and connection with supportive people help the body return to a state of calm. It is important not only to rest when we can no longer carry on, but also not to wait for total exhaustion.
Body signals are not a sign of weakness. Sometimes they simply say what we ourselves do not yet want to admit: the 'I will hold on a little longer' period has dragged on for too long.