Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCharacteristics of Stressed PeopleCausesEffectsBenefitsWays to Be Less StressedFAQ
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Characteristics of Stressed People
Causes
Effects
Benefits
Ways to Be Less Stressed
FAQ
Close
A short burst of stress can be beneficial because it can help you avoid an accidental collision or power through work to meet an important deadline.
While it’s normal to feel stressed from time to time, beingchronically stressedcan affect your mental and physical health.
If you’re frequently stressed out, you may find that you’re constantly nervous, uneasy, worried, and unable to sleep.These feelings can be overwhelming and difficult to live with. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to be less stressed.
This article discusses the characteristics, effects, and potential causes of stress and suggests some strategies that can help you bettermanage your stress levels.
Press Play for Advice On How to Make Your Life Easier
These are some of the emotional characteristics of stressed people as compared to people who are more relaxed.
Stressed PeopleFeeling nervous or anxiousGetting angry or frustratedGetting upset or crying easilyConstantly worrying about somethingFrequently feelingoverwhelmedOften feeling unable to copeFeeling like you’re losing controlRelaxed PeopleFeeling calm and collectedBeing patient and tolerantBeing able to regulate emotionsNot sweating the small stuffGenerally feeling confidentHaving faith in your ability to copeFeeling like you have everything under control
Stressed PeopleFeeling nervous or anxiousGetting angry or frustratedGetting upset or crying easilyConstantly worrying about somethingFrequently feelingoverwhelmedOften feeling unable to copeFeeling like you’re losing control
Feeling nervous or anxious
Getting angry or frustrated
Getting upset or crying easily
Constantly worrying about something
Frequently feelingoverwhelmed
Often feeling unable to cope
Feeling like you’re losing control
Relaxed PeopleFeeling calm and collectedBeing patient and tolerantBeing able to regulate emotionsNot sweating the small stuffGenerally feeling confidentHaving faith in your ability to copeFeeling like you have everything under control
Feeling calm and collected
Being patient and tolerant
Being able to regulate emotions
Not sweating the small stuff
Generally feeling confident
Having faith in your ability to cope
Feeling like you have everything under control
How to Calm Down Quickly: 9 Things You Can Do Right Now
Potential Causes of Stress
These are some of the potentialcauses of stress:
What to Do If You Feel Guilt About Climate Change
Effects of Stress
When you’re extremely stressed out, you may experience symptoms such as:
Over time,chronic stresscan cause your hormonal and neuronal systems to continue functioning in overdrive even though you’re not in danger.This can cause or exacerbate several health conditions, such as:
Furthermore, a 2017 study notes that chronic stress can cause the brain to atrophy and decrease in size, which can affectmemoryand cognitive abilities.
Benefits of Being Less Stressed
These are some of the benefits of being less stressed:
What Is Positive Self-Talk?
9 Ways to Be Less Stressed
These are some strategies that can help you reduce your stress levels, according toAllison Gaffey, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Yale Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine, who specializes in treating the effects of stress:
The Benefits of Meditation for Stress Management
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked QuestionsThese are some ways to be less stressed at school/work:Break complex tasks into smaller, more manageable parts. Plan out your workflow and set deadlines for each task.Avoid procrastinating and leaving your work for the last minute.Talk to your teacher/supervisor if you’re constantly feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope. They may be able to help reduce your workload or offer support.These are some ways to be less stressed about money:Take stock of your finances, so you know how much monthly income you have and what your expenses are.Create a budget for yourself, prioritizing your necessary expenditures.Track your expenditures so you know how much you’ve spent and how much leeway you have.Try to invest money every month to earn returns and build your savings.Create a second income stream, if possible.
These are some ways to be less stressed at school/work:Break complex tasks into smaller, more manageable parts. Plan out your workflow and set deadlines for each task.Avoid procrastinating and leaving your work for the last minute.Talk to your teacher/supervisor if you’re constantly feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope. They may be able to help reduce your workload or offer support.
These are some ways to be less stressed at school/work:
These are some ways to be less stressed about money:Take stock of your finances, so you know how much monthly income you have and what your expenses are.Create a budget for yourself, prioritizing your necessary expenditures.Track your expenditures so you know how much you’ve spent and how much leeway you have.Try to invest money every month to earn returns and build your savings.Create a second income stream, if possible.
These are some ways to be less stressed about money:
How to Stop Dreaming About Work
16 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institutes of Health.Stress.National Library of Medicine.Stress and your health.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Stress.National Institute of Mental Health.Stress fact sheet.National Library of Medicine.Stress.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Stress and your health.Elliott LD, Wilson OWA, Holland KE, Bopp M.Using exercise as a stress management technique during the COVID-19 pandemic: the differences between men and women in college.Int J Exerc Sci. 2021;14(5):1234-1246.Kumar A, Rinwa P, Kaur G, Machawal L.Stress: Neurobiology, consequences and management.J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2013;5(2):91-97. doi:10.4103/0975-7406.111818Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A.The impact of stress on body function: a review.EXCLI J. 2017;16:1057-1072. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Manage stress.American Heart Association.American Heart Association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids.Childs E, de Wit H.Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults.Front Physiol. 2014;5:161. doi:10.3389/fphys.2014.00161Hamer M, Endrighi R, Poole L.Physical activity, stress reduction, and mood: insight into immunological mechanisms.Methods Mol Biol. 2012;934:89-102. doi:10.1007/978-1-62703-071-7_5Martino J, Pegg J, Frates EP.The connection prescription: using the power of social interactions and the deep desire for connectedness to empower health and wellness.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2015;11(6):466-475. doi:10.1177/1559827615608788Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coping with stress.Hou WK, Lai FT, Ben-Ezra M, Goodwin R.Regularizing daily routines for mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.J Glob Health. 2020;10(2):020315. doi:10.7189/jogh.10.020315
16 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institutes of Health.Stress.National Library of Medicine.Stress and your health.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Stress.National Institute of Mental Health.Stress fact sheet.National Library of Medicine.Stress.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Stress and your health.Elliott LD, Wilson OWA, Holland KE, Bopp M.Using exercise as a stress management technique during the COVID-19 pandemic: the differences between men and women in college.Int J Exerc Sci. 2021;14(5):1234-1246.Kumar A, Rinwa P, Kaur G, Machawal L.Stress: Neurobiology, consequences and management.J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2013;5(2):91-97. doi:10.4103/0975-7406.111818Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A.The impact of stress on body function: a review.EXCLI J. 2017;16:1057-1072. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Manage stress.American Heart Association.American Heart Association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids.Childs E, de Wit H.Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults.Front Physiol. 2014;5:161. doi:10.3389/fphys.2014.00161Hamer M, Endrighi R, Poole L.Physical activity, stress reduction, and mood: insight into immunological mechanisms.Methods Mol Biol. 2012;934:89-102. doi:10.1007/978-1-62703-071-7_5Martino J, Pegg J, Frates EP.The connection prescription: using the power of social interactions and the deep desire for connectedness to empower health and wellness.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2015;11(6):466-475. doi:10.1177/1559827615608788Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coping with stress.Hou WK, Lai FT, Ben-Ezra M, Goodwin R.Regularizing daily routines for mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.J Glob Health. 2020;10(2):020315. doi:10.7189/jogh.10.020315
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institutes of Health.Stress.National Library of Medicine.Stress and your health.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Stress.National Institute of Mental Health.Stress fact sheet.National Library of Medicine.Stress.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Stress and your health.Elliott LD, Wilson OWA, Holland KE, Bopp M.Using exercise as a stress management technique during the COVID-19 pandemic: the differences between men and women in college.Int J Exerc Sci. 2021;14(5):1234-1246.Kumar A, Rinwa P, Kaur G, Machawal L.Stress: Neurobiology, consequences and management.J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2013;5(2):91-97. doi:10.4103/0975-7406.111818Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A.The impact of stress on body function: a review.EXCLI J. 2017;16:1057-1072. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Manage stress.American Heart Association.American Heart Association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids.Childs E, de Wit H.Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults.Front Physiol. 2014;5:161. doi:10.3389/fphys.2014.00161Hamer M, Endrighi R, Poole L.Physical activity, stress reduction, and mood: insight into immunological mechanisms.Methods Mol Biol. 2012;934:89-102. doi:10.1007/978-1-62703-071-7_5Martino J, Pegg J, Frates EP.The connection prescription: using the power of social interactions and the deep desire for connectedness to empower health and wellness.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2015;11(6):466-475. doi:10.1177/1559827615608788Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coping with stress.Hou WK, Lai FT, Ben-Ezra M, Goodwin R.Regularizing daily routines for mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.J Glob Health. 2020;10(2):020315. doi:10.7189/jogh.10.020315
National Institutes of Health.Stress.
National Library of Medicine.Stress and your health.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Stress.
National Institute of Mental Health.Stress fact sheet.
National Library of Medicine.Stress.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Stress and your health.
Elliott LD, Wilson OWA, Holland KE, Bopp M.Using exercise as a stress management technique during the COVID-19 pandemic: the differences between men and women in college.Int J Exerc Sci. 2021;14(5):1234-1246.
Kumar A, Rinwa P, Kaur G, Machawal L.Stress: Neurobiology, consequences and management.J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2013;5(2):91-97. doi:10.4103/0975-7406.111818
Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A.The impact of stress on body function: a review.EXCLI J. 2017;16:1057-1072. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Manage stress.
American Heart Association.American Heart Association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids.
Childs E, de Wit H.Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults.Front Physiol. 2014;5:161. doi:10.3389/fphys.2014.00161
Hamer M, Endrighi R, Poole L.Physical activity, stress reduction, and mood: insight into immunological mechanisms.Methods Mol Biol. 2012;934:89-102. doi:10.1007/978-1-62703-071-7_5
Martino J, Pegg J, Frates EP.The connection prescription: using the power of social interactions and the deep desire for connectedness to empower health and wellness.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2015;11(6):466-475. doi:10.1177/1559827615608788
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coping with stress.
Hou WK, Lai FT, Ben-Ezra M, Goodwin R.Regularizing daily routines for mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.J Glob Health. 2020;10(2):020315. doi:10.7189/jogh.10.020315
Meet Our Review Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit
What is your feedback?
