What is secondhand stress? 5 signs you are suffering from it

Just like laughter, smile and fear, stress is also highly contagious in nature.

Being around negative or pessimist people can make you tensed or stressed, even when everything in your life is going smoothly.

Whether it is your friend who always keeps on complaining about her boss or your partner who gets anxious over small issues.

All these little incidents are more than enough to cause an imbalance in your smooth sailing life.

You may pick up the other person’s emotions without even realising and start getting worried about it.

This phenomenon is referred to as secondhand stress. In this situation, a person does not exactly know why he is stressed or is feeling anxious.

A human being is a very sensitive creature. It absorbs everything taking place around them. Same is with stress. Our body absorbs the negative vibes present around us and starts producing cortisol, which is the major stress hormone. Our stress response system is so sensitive that it can even sense people facial expression and gets activated.

Just like secondhand smoke, secondhand stress is also bad for health. It can have an immediate effect on your nervous system, reduce your concentration and motivation to perform any work. Most people who involve a lot in other people’s lives experience this kind of stress. So, it is important to set boundaries to reduce the impact of secondhand stress.

But before that, you need to identify if you are really suffering from secondhand stress. We will tell you the 5 basic signs of secondhand stress.

Stress is always triggered due to some reason like a bad day at work or after a fight with your partner. But if you are feeling tensed without any specific reason then it simply means you have picked the emotions from someone else.

If you have always been recognised as jubilant and optimist person, but lately have become sceptical about even the smallest incident happening around you, then it is a warning sign. Being around stressful people can even make you a pessimist and can imbalance your positive vibe.

Being around people who are always stressed or complaining about one or the other thing actually suck all your energy. You will always feel tired, which over a period of time will take a serious toll on your health. So, try to stay sheer clear of negative people.

Brain fog, loss of memory, lack of concentration or focus can also be a sign of secondhand stress. If have been experiencing these symptoms lately then look around yourself, your colleague or friend might be the reason behind this.

Secondhand stress can also make you less productive at the work front. You may run out of original ideas and your efficiency will decrease. You might not find joy in completing your work, it will become a tedious task for you.