The major problem most people face everyday is not so much that stress seems to always be present in our lives in one form or another. The real problem and challenge is how do we win the battle against what has been identified as the #1 cause of most health problems, stress. Signs and symptoms can be seen in one's body language, physical health, behavior and habits, and one's mindset as to how one responds in certain situations.

If you do not properly address stress it adds misery to your life and the life of others. You begin to become more negative about life and situations. The specific signs and symptoms of stress may vary from person to person; however, all symptoms are harmful for your health.

It also affects your emotional well-being, and your relationships with others. Generally you can see and tell whether a person had been leading a happy and healthy life style or has been leading a stressful life. There are some common symptoms that are seen in most of the people who are under stress.

Some of the symptoms of stress are:

- Cognitive Symptoms - memory problems, indecisiveness, inability to concentrate, trouble thinking clearly, poor judgment, seeing only the negative, anxious or racing thoughts, constant worrying, loss of objectivity, fearful anticipation.

- Emotional Symptoms - moodiness, agitation, restlessness, short temper, irritability, impatience, inability, feeling tense or on edge, feeling overwhelmed, sense of loneliness and isolation, depression or general unhappiness.

- Physical Symptoms - Headaches or neck aches, muscle tension, and stiffness, diarrhea or constipation, nausea, dizziness, insomnia, chest pain, rapid heart beat, weight gain or loss, skin breakouts, loss of sex drive, frequent colds.

- Behavioral Symptoms - eating more or less, sleeping too much or too little, isolating yourself from others, procrastination, neglecting responsibilities, using alcohol, cigarettes or drugs to relax, nervous habits e.g. nail biting, pacing, teeth grinding, jaw clenching, overdoing activities, overreacting to unexpected problems, picking fights with others.

Chronic stress is stress that you have experienced since you were conceived through today and that has not been cleared from the body. Your body remembers everything that has ever happened to it on a mental, emotional and physical level. Good and bad. Negative experiences if not fully cleared from the body, may be stored in an energetic and vibrational way in any tissue, gland and organ. Left uncleared for years or even decades, can contribute to any number of symptoms and dis-ease.

- Hereditary Stress is physical, emotional and mental imbalances that are passed down generation after generation. Hereditary imbalances run very deep. Examples of this kind of stress include: familial diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, hypothyroid, heart disease or any of a list of symptoms.

A person who is stressed and remains tense is not physically healthy. One of the most common symptoms of stress is frequent headache. Your digestive system may not function properly and since 70% of your immune system is in the digestive tract this may weaken your ability to fight off illness and disease. You may lose or gain weight quickly, even without any change in your diet. It may also develop into anxiety causing chest pain, breathlessness and irregular heartbeat. You blood pressure will rise to above normal will stagnate there, almost permanently. This may lead to life threatening situations.

Stress can also affect your sleeping patterns by either sleeping too much, or not sleeping at all. You may get used to alcohol or using drugs, thus further affecting your health. You get short-tempered and your ability to tolerate things becomes more difficult as well. You may become more nervous where nail biting and jaw grinding becomes a habit.

It is important to understand that this is the #1 health problem we all face and try to understand the reasons that cause stress and then figure out options to overcome that. The key is that stress needs to be addressed constantly in order to realize and experience true wellness and harmony.