Ok obviously some signs of stress are abundantly clear – like rapid heart rate, a twitchy eye etc. But in this month’s Prevention magazine, they listed a few signs that you might find surprising.  Sadly, I have experienced ALL of these firsthand…

• Weekend Headaches -”A sudden drop in stress can prompt migraines, says Todd Schwedt, MD, director of the Washington University Headache Center. Stick closely to your weekday sleeping and each schedule to minimize other triggers.”

This is one that used to happen to me a lot – I always called them my “post-stress” migraines. It was at its peak during college – I’d get the migraines AFTER all of my finals were over. Or actually, worse than that, after the worst exams were over but when I was finishing up the others. Very disruptive….Ended up doing biofeedback work that helped (along with lots of advil!).

• An achy mouth -”A sore jaw may be a sign of teeth grinding, which can be worsened by stress, says Matthew Messina, DDS, a consumer advisor to the American Dental Association. Ask your dentist about a nighttime mouth guard – up to 70% of people who use one reduce grinding or stop it altogether.”

Again – in college I was a terrible teeth grinder. Can you tell I internalized stress? Is this TMI (too much information) ?  I’m sure my roommate loved it! ThankfullyI think I’ve overcome this one.

• Odd Dreams “Dreams usually get progressively more positive as you sleep, so you wake  up happier than you were before bed, says Rosalind Cartwright, PhD, and emeritus professor of psychology at Rush University Medical Center. When stressed, you wake up more often, disrupting this process and allowing unpleasant imagery all night. Good sleep habits can also prevent this; aim for 7 to 8 hours a night, and avoid caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime.”

Yep – add this to my list too. I remember having terrible, freaky dreams throughout grad school and even into my regular “corporate” life when I had big projects due. Once in awhile they pop up again, which is a clear sign for me that I need to chill. It’s typically now when I have too much going on and I’m afraid I’m going to drop a ball somewhere.

Well, now that you know way more than you wanted to about my bad habit of internalizing stress (which I have worked on improving over the years – and thankfully it seems to have gotten much much better), I figured I’d throw in Prevention’s suggestions for relieving stress. This page has a ton of links – and they are worth a look. Whether you want quick tips to use throughout the day or more lifestyle changes that can help you destress overall, they’ve got some great suggestions.

http://www.prevention.com/health/health/emotional-health/stress

And of course – just exercising regularly can help tremendously. My new addiction? Wii Fit! Love it. I’m convinced my key to getting rid of belly squish is through Wii Fit Hula Hoop! Fingers crossed…