Zodiac Sign Who Lash Out When Stressed Vs. Shut Down, Per Astrology
How do you handle stress?
pexels Being under pressure is a stressful thing. When stress builds up it can cause you handle it in different ways. Depending on what your zodiac sign is, you might respond to stress in a healthy or unhealthy way. Unfortunately, learning how to manage with stress isn't something we all learn right away.
It's a process that grows with time.
RELATED: What Stresses You Out The MOST, Based On Your Zodiac Sign
Usually, you have to figure out the best way to handle it on your own, or you just decide to never deal with stress at all. Some zodiac signs tend to lash out when they're stressed. The build-up of emotion and other overwhelming factors are just too much that they can't handle it anymore, and they burst.
And whoever is around them is the person who tends to take the most damage of this lashing out. Every zodiac sign that's prone to lashing out reacts differently to stress. Some lash out by taking their bad mood out on other people.
Other horoscope signs lash out by taking it out on themselves in self-destructive ways. But being self-destructive isn't just something those who lash out resort to when the stress is too much. Those who tend to shut down completely when they're stressed are handling it in a self-destructive way, too.
RELATED: 5 Panicky Zodiac Signs Who Get Stressed Out Easily
Stress is something that harms your mental and emotional health. And just like your physical health, your mental and emotional health should be taken care of on a regular basis. There are ways to handle stress in a healthy way that doesn't involve harming others or making it harder on yourself. Self-care is huge when handling stress.
Sometimes, we put off taking care of ourselves when we're swamped with work and responsibilities because it feels selfish to take a time out, but this is usually when we need self-care the most.
Adding small things that make you feel good throughout your day – like a cup of tea or a walk during lunchtime – can reduce stress drastically. A consistent routine also helps.
We as individuals naturally crave routines, whether that's a daily routine of going to the gym or doing yoga, or listening to a certain podcast every morning.
When things get too stressful and hard to manage, getting back to your routine helps you bring a better sense of control back into your life.
One of the most important things to remember when you get stress is to make handling it as easy as possible. Until you get your current routine down to a science, don't add anything else that might stress you out even more.
Do you already make yourself a cup of coffee in the mornings? Be more intentional and present when you drink it. Are your commutes to and from work stressful in themselves? Try some deep belly breathing to clear your head.
Whether you're a zodiac sign who lashes out when under pressure and stressed or one that shuts down completely, we could all use some practice in self-care to combat stress a little better, don't you think?
Here is how your horoscope sign handles pressure when under too much stress, per astrology.
ARIES (March 21 - April 19)
Aries has a very quick, very fiery temper, so it’s not uncommon for him to lash out without thinking when he’s stressed. All he cares about is finding a solution to his problem right now so that he can get on with his life.
Stress is just one of many emotions Aries feels very deeply. His impulsive tendencies make it hard for him to think before reacting, so he lashes out often. He might calm down later, but his first reaction is usually a big one.
LEO (July 23 - August 22)
Leo is an expressive zodiac sign who doesn’t keep any emotions hidden, least of all stress. He won’t always take it out on other people, but he will definitely let you know how he’s feeling. I mean, he’s the lion of the zodiac – he wants his voice to be heard.
When Leo lashes out, it can sometimes be more about him getting attention than actually asking anyone for help. Don’t get him wrong, if you have a solution to his problem, he’d love to hear it, but sometimes he just wants to express how he’s feeling instead of holding it in, you know?
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21)
Sagittarius is one of those zodiac signs whose anger can catch you off guard if you’re not expecting it. When he’s in a good mood, Sagittarius is very easy-going and happy. When he’s stressed though, he turns into a completely different person.
Sagittarius will get very argumentative and snappish when he’s stressed. No, he doesn’t want to talk about it. No, there’s nothing you can do to help. He wants to be angry because things aren’t going his way and he wants everyone to know about it. And yes, he wants to be left alone.
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20)
Taurus is one of those zodiac signs who you definitely don’t want to be around when they’re angry or stressed. He might not let his emotions get the better of him often, but when he does, you’re gonna want to watch out.
When Taurus is stressed, he lashes out because he has something to say. Even though it’s a little scary to see usually-calm Taurus raise his voice, his anger is justified. Taurus will only lash out if he wants to make a point or confront someone. If not, he’ll deal with his stress another way.
CANCER (June 21 - July 22)
Cancer can be pretty moody and passive-aggressive when he’s stressed, but don’t let that convince you that he holds everything in. In reality, he’s stockpiling all of his emotions before he unleashes them like an erupting volcano.
Before he lashes out, you’ll notice him becoming more distant and quieter. This is usually when he starts overthinking the things that are stressing him out (instead of handling them one at a time) before getting overwhelmed and taking it out on everyone around him.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22)
When Libra is having a bad day, he tends to get a little melodramatic… okay, not a little, a LOT melodramatic. Not only does he want you to know that he’s going through some stuff right now, but he’s hoping that if he acts helpless enough that someone will come to his rescue.
Libra is a lot better at expressing his emotions than actually dealing with them. He has a hard time making decisions, and when he’s forced to find a solution to what’s bothering him, it can become too much. He’d rather let you know that he’s stressed than do anything about it.
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19)
Capricorn is usually very good at keeping his emotions in check. Even if he’s incredibly stressed out and angry, you won’t see him lash out often. He tends to keep things to himself to save face – he doesn’t want to be known as the kind of person who can’t handle himself like an adult.
That said, Capricorn is also known for being one of those most pessimistic zodiac signs. So, even though he doesn’t lash out often, if you ask him why he’s stressed, he’s bound to show his angry side. Capricorn’s grumpiness and bad attitude are almost as bad as him lashing out.
GEMINI (May 21 - June 20)
Gemini tries not to let stress get to him, but hey, none of us are perfect, so it happens. Usually, Gemini is able to find a solution to anything. It’s actually pretty impressive. Maybe it’s because he prefers to go with the flow, but Gemini doesn’t let things like stress get him down.
That said, he can get pretty overwhelmed when stress is just one of many things bringing him down. Luckily for him, he’s able to ask for help without lashing out, but this usually doesn’t happen until after he lets himself overthink things first.
PISCES (February 19 - March 20)
Speaking of overthinking things, Pisces tends to overthink until he can’t take it anymore. Pisces has a tendency to hold things in because he doesn’t want to be a nuisance to anyone, but all this really does is bring unnecessary drama to a situation.
Rather than just asking someone to help him de-stress or even lashing out, Pisces feels like he needs to suffer for whatever he’s stressed about. He’ll hold it in for as long as possible before lashing out at someone for not seeing that he was so stressed sooner… yeah, that makes sense.
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18)
Aquarius definitely doesn’t like to express his emotions – in a healthy or unhealthy way – so he stuffs down how stressed he really is until the end of time. Not only will he keep quiet about how he really feels, but you also might even be surprised to learn just how stressed he is later on.
Aquarius shuts down when he’s stressed because he doesn’t know what else to do. Expressing himself doesn’t come easy, and he’s known for acting hopeless when things just seem too hard. He needs a lesson or two in how to express his emotions in a cathartic way, STAT.
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22)
Virgo tries to keep a level head about everything in his life. Not only does he not like chaos in the outside world, but he also hates any kind of disorder and chaos inside his mind. Stress is just one more thing he needs to try to control, no matter what.
When Virgo is stressed, he shuts down and won’t let anyone in. But more than that, he can also become very self-destructive –like he’s punishing himself for not being able to control his stress levels. Maybe he’s embarrassed or maybe he just doesn’t want to deal with it. Who knows?
SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21)
You’d think Scorpio would be one of the main zodiac signs to lash out when he’s stressed because he’s a fire sign, but that’s not true. Sure, he might have a fiery personality, but he’s also a pro at shutting everyone out when he’s dealing with something negative.
Scorpio is not one to let just anyone in, but even if you’re close, you still might not be able to tell when he’s stressed out. He will stuff his true emotions down as far as humanly possible and then shut you out. Scorpio’s anger can be scary, but his shut downs are even scarier.
Emily Ratay is a full-time writer living in Pittsburgh. She's passionate about the environment and feminism, and knows that anything is possible in the right pair of shoes. She plans on writing a non-fiction book in the future.