How stress affects the body: our current guide
What this page said
The page described a negative stress cycle: a perceived threat causes physical or psychological symptoms, which in turn raise stress and worsen the symptoms. It argued that the cycle is hard to interrupt, so it is better to avoid getting caught in it, and that awareness of stressors is the first step.
Readers were invited to complete a Stress Warning Signals checklist. Five or fewer symptoms checked suggested they were coping fairly well; more suggested stress might be affecting health and quality of life, and the page recommended starting a relaxation practice or asking a physician about referral to mind/body programs. The checklist itself is not reproduced here.
Key points from the original
- Stress and symptoms can feed each other in a cycle.
- A checklist threshold of five symptoms separated coping well from at risk.
- Suggested relaxation practice and, if needed, a physician referral.