Dealing with stress is one of the hardest obstacles in life. Stress is abundant in our everyday lives and has a dramatic impact on our physical and mental well-being. Stress releases hormones in the body that can accelerate aging and increase weight gain. Stress can make even insignificant events in life difficult to manage.

Knowing when you are unable to deal with stress on your own is a difficult decision to make. Stress can build up and become overwhelming before you hit a breaking point and the impact is obvious. Recognizing any of these 6 signs that your stress requires professional help may save you from losing your job, losing your cool, or lashing out at a loved one:

1: Constant Worrying

If you are constantly preoccupied and obsessing over any matter, it will build up psychological stress and become a trigger even when you try to forget it. Our minds often get caught in loops where we focus acutely on matters that concern us as a survival mechanism. Yet, this type of preoccupation can distract us from our daily lives, duties, and responsibilities.

If you are constantly worrying about something, it may help to talk out your feelings and concerns with a professional. They may have resources to help you work on the problem with practical suggestions you never considered. It can immediately reduce stress levels to know you are not alone in your battle against whatever worries you.

2: Repetitive Motions

Stress can often be seen by repetitive movements, constant tapping of the foot, or other nervous habits. These repetitive motions become a way of relieving stress but are not rationally linked to the problem they attempt to solve.

3: Lashing Out at Others

Stress can cause some people to become touchy. As a result, they may lash out at others when they feel like they are overly burdened. If you have made some regretful comments to anyone lately, you may want to apologize and discuss your problems with a counselor before they progress into violence and potential criminal charges.

4: Tense or Sore Muscles

When people are under stress, they may react by tensing up their posture and muscles in a defensive position. This type of muscular contraction adds a physical layer of reaction. People often tense up and put themselves on guard as a way of bracing themselves against bad news or suspenseful events in life. This can also lead to muscular pain and stiffness.

5: Insomnia

The worries from stress often progress so badly that sufferers will go to bed with a racing mind. They are still preoccupied with examining all angles of their problem and worry about matters beyond their control. This can cause great difficulty in sleeping and then interfere with work and daily functions.

6: Hypertension

Stress is strongly associated with rising blood pressure. This may be in part due to the constricting of arteries by tensing up muscles and focusing on stress points that increase adrenaline.

If your blood pressure is elevated and you are unable to relax, you are probably suffering from a bout of stress that requires professional assistance.