In our hustle-obsessed culture, stress has become a normalised part of life. It’s not uncommon to spend days buried in a busy inbox, juggling a hectic schedule of social plans and meetings, only to stay up late catching up on social media. But no matter how resilient we think we are, too much stress can easily push us into emotional and physical burnout if we’re not careful.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently identified burnout as a growing epidemic, hailing it a workplace phenomenon. But beyond looming office deadlines, stress can compound in other areas of our lives too, from relationships and finances to parenting and climate worries.

“Stress is a bit like a snowball,” explains Mindfulness Teacher Natalia Bojanic. “It’s much easier to control its impact at the early stages of formation, before it gains momentum and becomes a destructive force.”

So, what are the signs that we need to slow down? Here, Form’s in-house health and holistic experts share everything you need to know, including steps you can take to manage stress effectively.

What’s happening in the body when we’re stressed?

“Stress triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response,” explains Form’s Head of Nutrition Dr. Adam Collins. “This primitive reaction is designed to mobilise energy from the body’s fat and carbohydrate stores quickly, liberating fuel into the system so we can keep ourselves safe.”

But while fight or flight can be life-saving when we need to respond to a physical threat, it can have unwanted effects if the stress is psychological. “Without physical exertion, all that fuel ends up hanging out in the body and accumulating in places it shouldn’t be,” says Dr. Adam. “This is why stress is often linked to both cardiovascular risks and fat redistribution.”

What are the key stress signs to look out for?

From a disrupted sleep cycle to feeling zapped of energy, stress can affect us in various ways.

“Frequent headaches, neck aches, back pain, stomach pain, and muscle spasms are clues that stress might be mounting,” Natalia notes, with stress increasing inflammation levels in the body.

When we’re juggling too many deadlines, it can also impair the immune system, leading to frequent sniffly colds, infections, herpes sores, rashes and allergy attacks. “Look out for difficulty breathing, heart palpitations, and panic attacks too, as well as unexplained fatigue and weakness,” adds Natalia.

“Insomnia, nightmares, and disturbing dreams might become common during hectic periods,” she continues.

Since these symptoms can be difficult to pinpoint, keeping a dream diary can help track changes in your sleep and correlate them with your day-to-day experiences.

Why is it important to deal with stress and not ignore the issue?

With almost three-quarters of adults reporting feeling so stressed over the past year that they’ve felt overwhelmed, it can be easy to think that living in a state of near-frazzle is normal. But chronic stress is seriously detrimental to our health, so it pays to take steps to manage it.

“According to recent research, chronic exposure to stress can suppress the immune system, affect the gastrointestinal system and lead to conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcers and other digestive disorders,” Natalia warns. “Added to this, recent studies have revealed that chronic stress can damage the hippocampus, a critical brain region involved in memory and learning.”

While short-term stress can sometimes be a good thing, helping us to spring into action against immediate challenges, it’s clear that chronic stress has pervasive and harmful effects.

“Therefore, it’s important to distinguish daily stress from chronic stress so we can prevent it from building up,” affirms Natalia.

4 simple things you can do to manage stress daily

Mindfulness techniques are an effective way to create space to restore and reset the nervous system. Here are a handful to try next time you need a moment of Zen.

Try breathwork techniques

Breathwork is one of the most effective tools we have at our disposal for combatting stress. “Simply exhaling for an extended count switches the nervous system from stress response to the relaxation response, helping us to stay calm,” says Natalia. “All you have to do is inhale for a count of two and exhale for a count of four, preferably through your nostrils, for five to ten minutes.

“Studies suggest that we can reap immediate physiological effects, such as reduced heart rate and blood pressure, which begin within just a few minutes of initiating extended exhalations.”

Take a mindful walk

Whether it’s a morning stroll to your local coffee shop or a lunchtime breather in the park, a 10-minute walk can take your focus to the present moment and away from racing thoughts.

“Walking mindfully involves bringing your full attention to the process of putting one foot in front of the other, noticing the touch points between your feet and the earth,” says Natalia. “By focussing your attention on the sights and sensations around you, you can experience stress-busting benefits in less than five minutes.”

Self-soothe with physical touch

“Dr Kirstin Neff, a leading researcher in the field of self-compassion, suggests using a supportive touch when you feel challenged,” suggests Natalia. “Touching our skin activates the care system and the parasympathetic nervous system to help us calm down and feel safe.”

As our skin is an incredibly sensitive organ, she explains that a gentle stroke on your arms, placing hands on your heart or giving yourself a loving hug can release powerful positive hormones like oxytocin, providing a soothing sensation when we’re at our limit.

Put your phone down

Instead of doom scrolling your evening away, try picking up a tactile hobby instead, such as preparing dinner, knitting a sweater, or working with ceramics.

“Neuroscientist Dr Kelly Lambert, author of ‘Lifting Depression: A Neuroscientist’s Hands-On Approach to Activating Your Brain’s Healing Power’, has found compelling evidence that working with our hands for tangible rewards significantly improves our mood,” explains Natalia Bojanic. “Next time you’re feeling stressed, spend some quality time creating and relish the joy of disconnecting from an automated world.”