Everyone has a different stress threshold and perception of what is stressful. Consider the case of two different people experiencing the same changes at work. For one, the changes are welcome, but, for the other, the changes are not perceived as positive and are therefore more stressful.

Although each person will manifest stress in different ways, experts generally agree that there are typical physical, mental, emotional and relational symptoms of stress. Using the table below, check off those symptoms which apply to you and try to determine whether they are stress-related.

	Physical		Mental		Emotional		Relational
Appetite change Headaches Tension Fatigue Trouble sleeping Weight change Frequent colds/flu Muscle aches Digestive upset Pounding heart Accident prone Teeth grinding Rash Foot tapping Finger drumming Increased alcohol, drug or tobacco use		Forgetfulness Dull senses Poor concentration Low productivity Negative attitude Confusion Lethargy Overly active mind No new ideas Boredom Procrastination		Anxiety Frustration The "blues" Mood swings Bad temper Nightmares Crying spells Grumpy Depression Nervous laugh Easily discouraged Little laughter		Isolation Intolerance Loneliness Lashing out Withdrawing Lower libido Nagging Distrust Lack of intimacy Family problems

How did you do? According to Heart Health, if you have checked off more than several of these symptoms, and they are stress-related, it may be time to develop your own stress management action plan.