The early signs of stress: Two kinds of no

Have you ever looked at a colleague, a friend or someone in your family and thought: You seem a little under pressure…

They talk faster than usual, seem restless, struggle to concentrate, forget little things, get irritated more easily, look more tired – or perhaps just a little… different.

So you gently ask:

“Are you okay? Are you stressed?”

And then comes the answer.

In my experience, there are two kinds of NO

The first is:

“NO!”

Short. Quick. Convincing.

It is the NO that almost means: Stress? That is not me. I just have a lot on. I can handle it. I am used to pressure. Everything is fine.

And then there is the other one:

“Nooo…”

A little slower. A little more thoughtful. As though the person pauses for a moment and checks in with themselves before answering.

I think the difference often comes down to experience. Once you have been close to stress yourself – or perhaps already been THERE – you start to recognise the signs. You know that stress does not always begin dramatically. You do not necessarily wake up one morning and think: Right. Now I am stressed.

It often creeps up on you.

Why can it be so hard to say it out loud?

And stress can still be difficult to talk about. What does it mean if I admit that I am under pressure?

• Will someone think I cannot cope with my work?
• That I am not resilient enough?
• That I should not get the project I have worked towards for so long?
• That I am not ready for the next step?
• That my bonus, responsibilities or opportunities will suddenly be viewed differently?

So perhaps it is easier just to say:

“No, no. I am just busy.”

Responding before your body has to shout

But do we really have to experience stress before we start taking it seriously?

What if, instead, we got better at noticing our own signals before our bodies have to shout?

Noticing that our sleep has changed. That our bodies are holding more tension. That our thoughts keep going long after the working day is over. That concentrating suddenly feels harder. That little things irritate us more than usual.

It does not mean you are weak. It does not mean you cannot do your job.

It means one thing:

You are responding in time.

You are helping yourself before the strain becomes too much. Standing up for yourself, respecting your limits and getting to know your own responses to stress.

Seven signals worth noticing

01Your sleep changes

You find it hard to fall asleep, wake during the night or start the day with work tasks already running through your mind.

02Concentrating becomes harder

You read the same email several times, lose the thread in meetings or struggle to focus on one task.

03You forget more than usual

Appointments, small tasks, names or things you would normally have a firm grip on begin to slip your mind.

04You feel restless or struggle to switch off

Your body is at home, but your mind keeps working. Your thoughts carry on in the evening, over the weekend or in the middle of a conversation with someone else.

05You become more easily irritated

Little things suddenly feel big. Your patience wears thin, and the people around you may notice before you do.

06Your body starts to respond

Tension in your neck and shoulders, headaches, physical restlessness, a racing heart or stomach problems can be signs of prolonged strain.

07You feel tired in a different way

Not just “I have had a long day” tired, but a tiredness that means almost the whole weekend goes into recovering enough to start again on Monday.

None of these signs automatically means you are stressed. But if several start appearing together and persist, I think it is worth pausing and getting curious.

Not only when your body says STOP. But while it is still just saying:

“Hey… perhaps you could listen for a moment.”

Responding to your own signals is not a defeat. Quite the opposite. It is a way of looking after the person who needs to be able to sustain their work, their ambitions – and the life around them.

When the strain continues

The early signals are just that: signals. If the strain continues over time, stress can become more persistent and contribute to worsening physical and mental health problems. This does not mean stress automatically leads to illness – but prolonged stress is not something the body simply ignores.

WHO describes both possible symptoms and health risks associated with stress. This does not mean everyone will experience these problems:

1. Depression and anxiety: Stress can be a risk factor and may worsen existing mental health problems.
2. Sleep problems: Settling down and sleeping can become harder.
3. High blood pressure: WHO identifies stress as a possible risk factor.
4. Heart disease: WHO describes stress as a possible risk factor – not an inevitable cause.
5. Headaches, muscle tension and pain: The body can respond to strain.
6. Stomach and digestive problems: Stress can also affect the stomach.
7. Memory and concentration: Remembering things and staying focused can become harder.

Sources: World Health Organization (WHO), “Stress”, 30 March 2026 and WHO, guidance on stress, 2023.

And that is exactly why I think we need to get better at responding before we reach that point.

Not only when we can no longer sleep. Not only when our bodies refuse to carry on. Not only when the doctor says: “You need to stop now.”

But while your body is still whispering:

“Hey… there is a little too much going on right now.”

Why wait for your body to shout if you can learn to hear it while it is still speaking quietly?

Get to know your own stress pattern

This is where I can help: with becoming better at hearing what your body is actually telling you – before it has to shout.

No magic. No spirituality. Just a concrete, practical understanding of your own signals:

1. What happens in your body when you are under pressure?
2. Which signs appear first for you?
3. When do your boundaries begin to be crossed?
4. And what can you actually do when you notice?

We do not all respond to strain in the same way, so part of this is getting to know your own stress pattern.

The sooner you recognise your signals, the sooner you can respond – rather than waiting until your body has made the decision for you.

Get support in time. Not because you cannot cope – but because you want to keep doing your job without losing yourself along the way.

Get in touch if you would like to talk about your own signals. You can also read more about stress in the workplace.

If physical or mental health symptoms persist or are new, speak to your doctor. A therapeutic conversation does not replace a medical assessment.