Finding balance between good and bad stress: 5 signs your stress has become harmful

Dr. Doni Wilson reveals the ways we can recover from stress, which she explains is a root cause of poor mental health, depression, anxiety, insomnia etc. In this vital conversation, she discusses how we can calm our #stress response, what happens physiologically when our stress levels remain too high, and how we can build stress resilience so that stress doesn’t leave us feeling overwhelmed, anxious, depressed and/or exhausted.

Finding the right stress balance is unique to each individual and a certain amount of stress is both necessary and beneficial. Hormesis refers to a stressor that can have a beneficial effect on our health. Exercise is a good example of #hormesis. When we exercise we put our bodies under stress. Our heart rate increases, we build muscles, etc, which is beneficial to our bodies and minds. But if we push ourselves too far, exercise can put our bodies under too much stress. It can be a tricky line between good stress vs bad stress. So how do we know when we cross that line? There are 5 signs that we’ve been under too much stress:

1) low energy levels
2) disrupted sleep
3) poor focus
4) mood (anxious, depressed, overwhelmed)
5) your body (poor digestion, heartburn, rash, sinus infections, headaches)