10 Straightforward Signs Your Stress Is No Longer Normal, No Matter How Much You Deny It
PeopleImages | Shutterstock For some people, a fleeting sense of nervousness or a period of normal stress may resolve itself back into a kind of normal balance, at least according to a study from Future Science OA. However, if the event or feelings of stress are too intense, or the period in which they're experiencing it is too long, that stress may linger in a mental, emotional, and physical sense. Their body shifts in unfavorable ways to accommodate that stress, their routine falls off course, and their minds start to overcompensate by prompting more anxiety or avoidance.
While it might be easy to call the stress they're feeling "manageable" initially, there are a few straightforward signs your stress is no longer normal, no matter how much you deny it. You can run from stress for a few fleeting moments with distractions and isolation, but it doesn't go away until you address it — whether that's with rest, an intentional routine, or a solution to the main cause of it.
Here are 10 straightforward signs your stress is no longer normal, no matter how much you deny it
1. You wake up tired or anxious
siro46 | Shutterstock
According to a study from the Journal of Sleep Research, people who regularly spend their days ruminating about stress and coping with its symptoms may struggle with consistent rest. Whether it's waking up tired, struggling to fall asleep, or being disrupted constantly during the night by manifestations of their chronic stress, it's not uncommon for stress and sleep to interweave themselves together.
Of course, if doomscrolling, specifically before bed or from the first moment they wake up in the morning, is a stressed out person's way of coping, they may also experience poor sleep-related shifts in their routine. Not only does it overload the brain with sensory information in a period of time that should be naturally resting or waking up, but it also amplifies already present stressors.
2. You struggle to fully relax
Whether it's experiencing insomnia at night or struggling to make the most of small breaks during the day, many already-stressed people struggle to relax. They can't even find pockets of calm amid the chaos of the day, because distraction and an over-scheduled calendar are their only ways of misguidedly coping.
If that sounds like you — with a packed social calendar and an inability to leverage alone time for rest — that could be one of the straightforward signs your stress is no longer normal, no matter how much you deny and run away from it.
3. You feel like you're going through the motions
Whether it's struggling to make sense of your emotions or finding it impossible to slow down amid your chaotic schedule, if you feel like you're living life on autopilot, chances are your stress is no longer normal. While "emotional numbness" and shutting down in the face of chaos are often trauma responses and misguided coping mechanisms, they're not something to ignore.
If your stress has overloaded your body and mind to the point of shutting down for a fleeting sense of peace, you're not only putting your well-being at risk, but your relationships, mental health, and personal self-esteem.
4. You're overwhelmed by small inconveniences
Even if it feels like a disproportionate reaction and you have the perspective to understand that an inconvenience isn't the end of the world, if your stress is getting the best of you, you may overreact to small things. Whether it's traffic on the way to work or a small miscommunication with a partner, you find yourself overflowing with emotional sentiments, anger, and frustration in the face of small inconveniences.
Especially for people who are ignoring their stress and denying how impactful it is on their well-being, these emotions often come from suppression. They're pushing their emotions down and finding ways to distract themselves from acknowledging discomfort, only to find them all overflowing at random, minor inconveniences.
5. Your appetite is changing
chalermphon_tiam | Shutterstock
Whether it's "forgetting" to eat during the day or using food as comfort after a hard day, if your appetite and eating habits have changed in the face of emotional overwhelm, that's a straightforward sign that your stress is no longer normal, no matter how much you deny it.
According to a study published in Cureus, chronic stress can alter the hormones responsible for appetite regulation, making it not uncommon for overwhelmed individuals to adjust their eating habits. However, just because it's natural in the face of stress doesn't mean it's healthy to chalk up these symptoms as "normal."
6. Your body feels tense all the time
When you're carrying a lot of emotional tension, your body tends to follow suit. Whether it's anxiety about a work project, emotional turmoil from unresolved trauma, or chronic stress from an unstable routine, your body carries a lot of tension for the things you're not ready to address mentally or emotionally.
However, when you're in the midst of this chaos or actively suppressing your emotions, your body being tense all the time can be one of the straightforward signs your stress is no longer normal, no matter how much you deny it.
7. You're getting sick more often
According to a study from the Journal of Clinical Medicine, when you're holding onto a lot of chronic stress, it can slowly chip away at your immune system, making it less productive for fighting off illness. So, if you're getting sick more often and struggling to recover from routine colds and illnesses, that can be a sign that the stress you've been ignoring is actually less normal than it seems.
So, even if the small physical changes — from body image to nervous system ticks — are easy to brush off, these constant periods of sickness and fatigue can be larger "red flags" that it's time for a lifestyle, professional, or routine change.
8. You're less patient and more irritable
Whether it's using service workers as a scapegoat for inner turmoil or starting petty arguments with a partner at home, if you feel less patient and more irritable in small situations, that could be one of the straightforward signs your stress is no longer normal, no matter how much you deny it.
When we're dealing with so much chaos inside, the empathy we pride ourselves on having for others can quickly become less of a priority. Our brains are working constantly to mediate the stress, anxiety, and uncertainty that's happening internally, so that everything else — conversations, forgiveness, and even our tone of voice — shifts negatively without us even realizing it.
9. You feel chronically 'behind'
Krakenimages.com | Shutterstock
If you feel like you're constantly "behind" in every aspect of your life, running on less sleep and struggling to keep up with your tasks, chances are you're working in overdrive, dealing with inner stress and emotional turmoil.
Feeling "behind" might be a lack of motivation and productivity often associated with chronic stress, but it could also be a sign that you're already burnt out. Even the smallest daily tasks feel entirely impossible because your body and mind are stuck in "fight or flight" mode.
10. You rely on vices to get through the day
If you're relying on vices to get through the day — whether it's caffeine, sugar, food, or mindless entertainment on your phone — chances are you're compensating for something. It could be unresolved trauma, chronic stress, or some other kind of internal turmoil, but regardless of where it starts, you're trying to avoid dealing with the root cause.
These distractions may provide a fleeting sense of comfort, but in the end, this avoidance only adds to your life stressors and causes more harm.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
