show ad Revealed: The five key symptoms of stress - and EXACTLY how to fix them * Charlotte Watts, writing for Healthista, explores five key signs of stress * A racing, anxious mind to eye strain and headaches are all symptoms * We reveal both short- and long-term ways to help reduce stress By Charlotte Watts For Healthista -- It is an increasingly common part of everyday life for millions. Stress is becoming more and more prevalent as we face one of the most challenging factors for the human psyche - change, uncertainty and a lack of knowledge. And as a result watching for some really common stress-related symptoms is a good barometer to acknowledging when we need to step back for some self-care. -- to calming excitation that spreads into muscles, mind and affects our capacity for sustainable sleep, mood and energy. With stress affecting more and more people, here, writing for Healthista, Charlotte Watts reveals the five key signs to look out for, and how to combat stress in the short- and long-term With stress affecting more and more people, here, writing for Healthista, Charlotte Watts reveals the five key signs to look out for, and how to combat stress in the short- and long-term With stress affecting more and more people, here, writing for Healthista, Charlotte Watts reveals the five key signs to look out for, and how to combat stress in the short- and long-term 1. RACING MIND, WORRY AND ANXIETY -- nature, we are set to track for dangers on the periphery and this constant vigilance running along in the background can go a little crazy when stress becomes the usual way of living. If we've had trauma in our lives or if we are currently living in a -- This can be especially true in the wee hours of the morning when we may be waking from stress affecting our ability to drop into and maintain deeper sleep cycles. -- heightened response to these vigilant patterns. Long-term practice has shown to decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol, increase compassion and self-compassion (including how we objectively view ourselves), improve neuroplasticity (more flexibility -- involve tired, burning and itching sensations in the eyes. With the stress response including a widening of pupils to take in more peripheral information in the face of perceived danger, it can also include sensitivity to light when chronic and long-term stress is in the mix. -- 3. JAW TENSION AND HEADACHES Clenching in the jaw is a basic part of the stress response as it primes us for self-protection, increasing blood flow to the temples to create the heightened vigilance that our primal selves perceive we need -- It gives us a sense of motivation and forward thrust, but when it becomes set as default it can add into neck and shoulder tension, keep sending the signals to keep up stress and agitation and even lead to symptoms like headaches and teeth grinding. With workplace stress on the rise phrases like 'gritting our teeth through it' can seem more literal and part of your body's 'normal' setting. Clenching in the jaw is a basic part of the stress response, which can lead to headaches Clenching in the jaw is a basic part of the stress response, which can lead to headaches Clenching in the jaw is a basic part of the stress response, which can lead to headaches -- Chewing celery is not only a good jaw workout but it also contains the nervous system soothing chemical apigenin, so can help bring you down from the signals that keep up jaw stress. If you can gurn, make faces, stick out your tongue, gargle and unstick -- This gives them the signal that they can release and allow you to feel that you can move your jaw around to create space. this exercise can help relieve stress held from holding stress body patterns chronically: * Start by pinching the middle of your eyebrows, taking your time to -- 4. CRAMPING AND/OR PAIN IN THE ABDOMEN Feeling stress in the gut isn't simply descriptive, our bellies are in constant communication with our brains to guide how we respond to external (and internal) stimuli. As I explain in my book The De-Stress Effect, much stress research has been directed towards the gut, where the enteric nervous system (ENS, aka 'The Second Brain') is a complex mass of nerve cells running the -- central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) but is in continual dialogue with the brain. Feeling stress in the gut isn't simply descriptive, our bellies are in constant communication with our brains to guide how we respond to external (and internal) stimuli Feeling stress in the gut isn't simply descriptive, our bellies are in constant communication with our brains to guide how we respond to external (and internal) stimuli Feeling stress in the gut isn't simply descriptive, our bellies are in constant communication with our brains to guide how we respond to external (and internal) stimuli -- breastbone. Stress also causes immediate cessation of digestive function, so if you're partially through digesting a meal, a challenging event or communication (or even simply worry) can leave partially digested food hanging around in the gut and this may create gas that causes pressure, pain and/or flatulence. Feeling stress in the gut isn't simply descriptive, our bellies are in constant communication with our brains to guide how we respond to external (and internal) stimuli -- It can take a while to feel this motion of rise on the inhale, drop on the exhale if stress has you breathing up into your upper chest and shoulders, but if you exhale fully into these areas too, you can start to feel release down into the lower body. -- Research is beginning to understand how looking after our gut environment helps to signal back up to the brain to either keep the stress response going or allow us to calm back down the other side. Beneficial bacteria in the form of a good quality probiotic and -- to calm smooth muscle, including that in the bowel, so plenty of green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and fish can help redress how we use up lots of magnesium in the stress response. Anger is a normal response to pain, threat and injustice. It is a healthy response to be able to express it in a calm and reasonable -- feeling heard or respected or (particularly if of an introvert nature) have not had enough time to ourselves for recovery. Giving yourself a hug can help ease stress in the short-term, helping to release the 'love' hormone, oxytocin Giving yourself a hug can help ease stress in the short-term, helping to release the 'love' hormone, oxytocin Giving yourself a hug can help ease stress in the short-term, helping to release the 'love' hormone, oxytocin -- heart and intuitive wisdom in the belly (those gut feelings again) in a palpably physical way can help us come down from heightened responses that may be inappropriate for the level of stress presented. Breathing here and allowing looseness in the jaw can bring a sense of -- * Heroic grandmother, 67, becomes the world's oldest surrogate mother after carrying her daughter's child * From stressful family gatherings to overindulging on festive turkey: Five ways Christmas affects your brain * Revealed: The Pizza Express Christmas special that contains 1,524