Stress can keep your body running high.
Some people notice stress as a mind that won’t switch off.
Others feel it in their body, as tension, aches, pains or unexplained symptoms.
Some only notice it when they snap at someone they love or get sick on their first day off.
Maybe you feel:
- depleted
- frazzled
- restless
- wired
Stress is your body’s way of meeting demands.
Understanding your stress can help you notice what you need.
What is Stress?
Stress is how your body responds to pressure, change or challenge.
It releases hormones that raise your heart rate, sharpen your focus and give you energy to act.
Stress can help in short bursts, and it’s meant to ease once the demand has passed.
Everyone feels stress, and long stretches of it are common in busy, uncertain times.
It can look different across people and cultures, from headaches to short tempers to trouble sleeping.
Sometimes the strain exceeds your capacity to cope.
Stress gets harder on your body when it never has a chance to settle.
Signs and Symptoms of Stress
Physical
- catching colds
- grinding teeth
- headaches
- tight shoulders
Mental
- forgetting things
- making lists
- racing ahead
- trouble switching off
Emotional
- feeling rushed
- overwhelm
- short fuse
- tearfulness
Social
- eating while working
- skipping breaks
- snapping at people
- staying up late
What Causes Stress?
Stress rarely has one cause, and it usually comes from many places:
- Your body: pain, illness, poor sleep and hormonal changes can make stress harder to carry.
- Your experiences: big changes, deadlines, caregiving or loss can pile on at once.
- Your relationships: conflict, loneliness or always being the one others lean on can wear you down.
- Your circumstances: money worries, unsafe housing, discrimination or long work hours can keep stress high.
Pushing through can get things done, and it can leave less of you for what comes next.
Stress shows how much you’re carrying.
Stress and Your Nervous System
Your nervous system gears up to meet stress.
Your heart speeds up, your muscles tighten and your attention narrows toward what needs doing.
How easily you gear up, and how easily you come back down, is shaped by what you've lived through.
Your body also has a way back, rest and digest.
It slows your heart, softens your muscles and turns your body toward repair.
Staying switched on is your nervous system's way of protecting you.
Your body knows how to heal when it has time, space and safety.
Stress and Trauma
What if your stress started long before today?
After trauma, your body can stay closer to fight or flight, so everyday demands hit harder.
Small things, like a full inbox or a raised voice, can feel bigger than they look from the outside.
That’s part of why it can be hard to wind down, even on a quiet day.
Stress after trauma can look like staying too busy to feel, keeping everyone else happy or scanning before you relax.
Each of these once helped you stay ahead of danger.
Your body can learn it’s safe to rest, a little at a time.
Ways to Care for Yourself
Notice the rush
Notice when you’re moving fast or holding your breath. Noticing is enough for now, without changing it.
Let it be a lot
Tell yourself, this is a lot right now. It’s okay for it to be a lot, and it's okay to say so out loud.
Listen in
Listen for what your stress is pointing to, like too much or too alone. You don't have to act on the answer.
Let it move
If your body wants to pace, fidget or tap, let it. Follow the movement instead of trying to hold still.
When to Get Help
You might tell yourself this is just a busy season.
But stress that never lets up can start to feel normal, and that takes a toll on your body and mind.
It might be time to reach out if stress:
- keeps you tense most days
- affects your sleep or health
- leaves you burned out
- strains your relationships
Stress doesn’t have to be severe to be worth talking about.
When you feel tense, it’s time to get help.
Therapy can help you listen to your stress and find what needs to shift.
Questions About Stress
Why can’t I switch off at night?
Why do I feel guilty when I rest?
Why do I keep saying yes to more?
Why do I feel stressed when nothing’s wrong?
Why do I get sick when I finally relax?
What’s the difference between stress and anxiety?
Is burnout the same as stress?
Can stress cause physical symptoms?
Resources for Stress in Alberta
If you're in crisis, call or text 988 any time, day or night. For more crisis lines across Alberta, visit our crisis support page.
Support Lines
- Mental Health Helpline: 1-877-303-2642. Free support and referrals for anyone in Alberta, 24/7.
- 211 Alberta: Call or text 211, or chat online, to find local supports, including help with money, housing or caregiving.
- Health Link: 811. Talk to a nurse any time about headaches, sleep or other symptoms that worry you.
Learn and Practice
- MyHealth Alberta: Read about stress management on Alberta's trusted health information site.
- Healthy Minds Program: A free app with short guided practices for calm and focus. Learn more.
- Togetherall: Free, anonymous online peer support, moderated around the clock, for Albertans 16 and older.
Related Topics in This Library
Concerns
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