 Hi everyone. Before we begin, we at Psych2Go would like to give a big thank you for your support. Psych2Go's mission is to make psychology and self-care topics more accessible to everyone. In today's video, we will be discussing the six signs of stress you shouldn't ignore. It's important to listen to your body. It gives many signals that show you it's time to de-stress. Sometimes you may think you're not stressed, but your body can tell you otherwise. Let's take a look at some signs now. 1. Your appetite changes, making unhealthy or eating choices. You may start eating regularly, whether that is overeating or under-eating. A study by Candia, Yake, Jones and Meyer on 272 female college students revealed that 81% had a change in appetite when stressed. While 80% of the students reported that they made healthy eating choices regularly, only a third of them ate healthy when stressed. People who ate more when stressed chose foods that were significantly sweeter or greasier than their usual choices. 2. You experience digestive issues. Has there been a time when you had digestion issues out of the blue? Your digestive system may also work against you regardless of what you eat. Even if you eat healthy, stress can cause issues such as stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation and more. Maybe it's not the food's fault your tummy feels funny. It could mean that you're stressed. 3. You feel all sorts of negative feelings. You may feel all sorts of tension, restlessness and even depression. Stress impacts muscle tension and mood. It can be why you feel anxious, irritable, overwhelmed, sad or depressed. A study found significant associations of acute and chronic stress with depression. While stress doesn't necessarily cause depression, it can be a possible factor as stress dysregulates bodily functions and moods. 4. You experience sleep issues and low energy. Are you having a hard time with sleep lately? A study on 2,316 people showed that those experiencing more stressful events had a higher risk of insomnia. Continuously having poor sleep may make you feel sluggish during the day. The change in eating habits mentioned before may also contribute to low blood sugar, leading to feelings of low energy. 5. Deep breathing can become difficult. Stress and strong emotions can cause the breathing airway to constrict, resulting in symptoms such as shortness of breath and rapid breathing, almost like panting. Some studies show that acute stress can actually cause an asthma attack or a panic attack. 6. Cravings for substance misuse become stronger. Like food, substances may cause temporary immediate satisfaction in the brain so you feel better. However, abusing anything you intake can have devastating consequences such as excessively consuming alcohol or nicotine. Are you craving substances or even unhealthy food more than normal? It may be a sign that you're stressed. We can see that all these physical symptoms impact each other, impact your mood and impact your behavior. If you notice that you're experiencing several of these symptoms mentioned, it may be your body telling you to take a break. Be sure to take care of yourself and get the rest you need. After all, you only have one body. And all your bodily systems affect one another. How do you de-stress? Let us know in the comments below. Share this with someone you think might be showing signs of stress as well. Don't forget to click the like button and subscribe for more psychology content. And as always, thanks for watching.