ok so stress, right… like we all got it, some people talk about it all the time, others act like it doesn’t exist but deep down they’re just boiling inside lol. but fr what even is stress?? i didn’t even kno the exact meaning till i googled it one time after like 3 days no sleep
so lemme try to explain it how i understand it. not textbook, just like normal way.
ok but what is it
so basically stress is when ur brain n body start reacting to something that’s bothering u or like feels too much to handle. doesn’t have to be drama or anything huge, it could be as small as ur phone acting up when u late for class or ur mom yelling for no reason .
like ur brain goes “danger” even if it’s not actual danger, n it tells ur body to panic a lil. ur heart beats faster, u feel hot or cold, u can’t focus. idk how to say it better but yeah u just feel off.
it’s like ur body pressin the alarm button even when nothin is actually on fire… but also sometimes it is on fire (metaphorically or not lol).
different types (yes stress has types too ugh)
didn’t kno this at first but there’s actually a few kinds of stress?? not all of them are bad actually (surprise):
1. eustress (the good stress)
so this one’s the good kinda stress?? weird right. but like it’s the thing that gets u hyped before a game or excited for a trip. makes u do stuff better sometimes.
2. acute stress
this is the quick one. like when ur tryna finish an assignment 5 min before deadline and ur whole brain is SCREAMING. but then it’s over fast. not fun but manageable.
3. chronic stress
this ones the demon. the silent killer type fr. the stress that just sits with u for days, weeks, months. like background music that never stops playing. caused by stuff like money probs, family issues, jobs u hate, feeling stuck in life. it just drains u.
stuff that causes stress (aka everything lol)
man, this list could go forever. but here’s some common stuff:
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school or exams
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jobs or bosses that suck
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parents shouting over nothing
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breakups / fights
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being broke
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overthinking literally everything
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health probs
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deadlines deadlines deadlines
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social media (yes, that too)
also sometimes nothing specific causes it. u just wake up and ur brain decides “today we suffer” for no reason
how it shows up (aka how u know ur stressed)
not everyone cries when they stressed (some of us just eat too many chips or scroll reels for 3 hours). signs are diff for people but some common ones:
mind stuff
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brain fog
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forgetting things u JUST read
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getting mad easy
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feeling anxious for no reason
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sad outta nowhere
body stuff
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headaches
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can’t sleep or sleeping TOO much
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always tired
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random pain
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stomach issues (stress belly is real idc)
behavior stuff
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snapping at ppl
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avoiding convos
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binge eating or skipping meals
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drinking/smoking more
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not wanting to do anything
stress be turning u into a different person and u don’t even realise it
why ignoring it is a bad idea (fr don’t)
a lotta ppl (me too sometimes tbh) just push it down. “i’m fine” energy. but the thing is, if u don’t deal with stress, it doesn’t go away — it just builds up and then BOOM ur crying in the grocery store parking lot for no reason
long-term stress can mess up ur body. not just mentally, but like physically too:
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high bp
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sleep probs
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weight gain / weight loss
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heart probs
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depression
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burnout (yep that’s real)
how to deal with it (no fake solutions here)
look i’m not a therapist or nothing, but here’s some stuff that helped me or ppl i know:
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talk to someone. like actually. venting helps
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write it down. brain dump style. don’t think, just write
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walk. move. anything. even a 10-min walk helps, not lying
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cut the caffeine sometimes. 4 cups of chai isn’t therapy
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say no. stop doing stuff just to please everyone
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cry. seriously just let it out, it’s not weak
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breathe. like really deep breathing. 4 in, 4 hold, 4 out. repeat
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put your phone down. no doomscrolling at 2AM pls
not all of these work for everyone. try diff stuff. see what makes ur brain feel less like scrambled eggs.
my own stress story (just to keep it real)
last year i was working 2 part time jobs, uni full time, and helping at home n all… n i thought i was doing okay but suddenly started getting chest pain n thought i was dying turns out it was just stress. literal stress. got tests done n all, nothing wrong physically, just burnt out
after that i slowed down a bit. dropped one job, stopped trying to be perfect at everything, took walks without my phone. not saying my life is stress-free now, but i feel more human at least.
ending this (before this turns into a diary lol)
look. stress is real. it’s not “just in your head”. it affects everything. but also, you don’t have to suffer in silence or try to be strong all the time. take breaks. ask for help. forgive yourself. sleep. breathe. drink water.
you’re not lazy. you’re not weak. you’re just tired. and it’s okay.
if no one told u this today — u got this. seriously.