Take an inventory of yourself at this very moment. Are you experiencing any of the following?
1. Clenched jaw or teeth grinding - Stress commonly manifests through clenched muscles, and your jaw muscles are no exception. You may notice that your jaw muscles are inexplicably sore, or you may catch yourself in the act of clenching or grinding.
2. Dry mouth - If you’re drinking plenty of water and are otherwise healthy, dry mouth could be an indicator of the flight-or-fight response. 
3. Shallow or erratic breathing - An initial indicator of shallow breathing is feeling that you need to sigh frequently. This sighing is actually your body trying to take giant breaths in order to compensate for the low flow of oxygen you’ve been giving it through shallow breathing. Erratic breathing - that is, breaths of an uneven rhythm and depth - can also create the desire to sigh.
4. Stomach pain or nausea - Stress hormones are located in the gut, as well as the brain. Unexplained stomach aches or a desire to vomit can indicate stress.
5. Rapid pulse - Our ancestors needed to flee predators on foot within moments, or expend the energy to fight them. The ability to utilize your body’s speed or strength to its fullest was essential for survival. Both a sprint and a fight require that blood be delivered in higher quantities to many of your body’s tissues, so an increased pulse can signify that your stress response has been engaged.
6. Desire for drugs (tobacco, caffeine, alcohol) as relief rather than pleasure - It’s commonly known but less commonly followed: intoxicating substances mask problems, not solve them. Because stress is indeed a problem, many people try to drug it away, only to find that the causes of their stress are still just as present (or more so) once the substance has worn off.
If one, two or all of these symptoms apply to you, it may be time to head to the spa to de-stress. Burke Williams has made regular, much-needed spa visits more convenient and affordable with membership packages. Check out our Essential, Deluxe or Beyond specials today.
