{"id":1177733,"date":"2026-08-30T19:27:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T19:27:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1177733\/"},"modified":"2026-08-30T19:27:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T19:27:25","slug":"5-symptoms-of-chronic-stress-according-to-a-psychologist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1177733\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Symptoms Of Chronic Stress, According To A Psychologist"},"content":{"rendered":"

A majority of UK adults <\/a>say they\u2019ve dealt with stress so intense that it\u2019s left them feeling completely overwhelmed.<\/p>\n

And chronic stress \u2013 worries and\/or pressures that keep you in a state of high alert for long, continuous periods of time \u2013 has been linked<\/a> to worse health outcomes, like sleep issues and higher blood pressure.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, though, chronic stress lasts so long that it can be hard to tell it apart from \u201cregular life\u201d. <\/p>\n

Thankfully, Dr Bijal Chheda, a consultant psychologist and founder of Nos Curare<\/a>, has shared seven signs your body might give to suggest you\u2019re dealing with the ongoing issue. <\/p>\n

1) Persistent headaches <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cStress is a well-recognised trigger for tension-type headaches because it can cause the muscles around the scalp and neck to remain tense,\u201d the psychologist said. <\/p>\n

\u201cOver time, the nervous system may become more sensitive to these pain signals, meaning headaches that were once occasional begin occurring more regularly.\u201d <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re experiencing this symptom, keep a diary detailing when the headaches happen, how long they last, and what, if anything, helps. If the problem keeps coming back or don\u2019t improve, speak to your GP. <\/p>\n

2) Stomach cramps <\/strong><\/p>\n

Yep \u2013 stress really can<\/a> mess up your stomach. For instance, the NHS said, it can slow digestion down. <\/p>\n

\u201cDuring periods of prolonged stress, communication between the brain and gut can become disrupted, affecting how the gut functions,\u201d Dr Chheda added. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe bowel muscles may contract irregularly, triggering cramps and leaving the stomach feeling unsettled.\u201d <\/p>\n

If this happens, she advised that diaphragmatic breathing<\/a> may help \u2013 though again, see your doctor if the symptom doesn\u2019t let up. <\/p>\n

3) Tense muscles<\/strong><\/p>\n

When we\u2019re chronically stressed, \u201cthe body may remain slightly prepared for action, maintaining a low level of muscle contraction,\u201d the expert explained. <\/p>\n

\u201cOver time, this can make it difficult for certain muscles to fully relax, leaving areas such as the shoulders or neck feeling tight.\u201d <\/p>\n

Sounds like you? Progressive muscle relaxation<\/a> can help. <\/p>\n

4) Ongoing fatigue <\/strong><\/p>\n

I know, I know: supposedly, everyone\u2019s tired<\/a>. But that doesn\u2019t mean you have to accept constant low-level exhaustion, or that it\u2019s normal. <\/p>\n

\u201cUnder stress, the body shifts its energy towards responding to whatever feels threatening, and away from the processes that help it recover. This is why so many people under pressure find it difficult to fully relax, even when there is nothing immediate left to respond to,\u201d the psychologist stated. <\/p>\n

\u201cOver time, chronic stress can become exhausting, causing even routine tasks to feel more physically demanding. Rather than trying to push through the fatigue, build short periods of genuine recovery into the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

5) Disrupted sleep<\/strong><\/p>\n

Though settling down for a good night\u2019s sleep sounds relaxing, Dr Chheda said these quiet periods can make stressful thoughts louder. \u201cThis may also keep cortisol levels elevated later than usual, making it harder for the body to shift naturally into rest,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a result, falling asleep may take longer, while small disturbances may be more likely to wake you during the night.\u201d <\/p>\n

Following a consistent sleep routine, avoiding screens before bed, and a relaxing hobby like reading <\/a>can all help, she ended. <\/p>\n

But if the issue persists \u2013 you guessed it \u2013 it might be time to speak to a medical professional.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A majority of UK adults say they\u2019ve dealt with stress so intense that it\u2019s left them feeling completely…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1177734,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4317],"tags":[5114,105,218,4920,16,15],"class_list":["post-1177733","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-evergreen","tag-health","tag-mental-health","tag-stress","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/117186110619233599","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1177733","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1177733"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1177733\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1177734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1177733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1177733"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1177733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}