My back had been hurting since spring. Nothing serious—just the kind of ache that you
notice it when you get up from your desk, but forget about it again by lunchtime
you have.
At some point, I went to see an orthopedist. He examined me, looked at the images, and
said everything was fine. Which was true, medically speaking. There was nothing to be found.
I remember feeling almost uncomfortable about it. As if I'd wasted his time.
So I went back to work and didn't give it another thought.
The body rarely reacts to prolonged stress with a sudden
Not a sudden collapse, but a series of small, nonspecific signs over the course of months
or over the course of years. Typical early warning signs include recurring muscle tension
No orthopedic findings, digestive problems after eating, frequent infections
with prolonged duration and sleep problems despite severe exhaustion. Because each of these
Although the symptoms appear harmless and medical examinations often reveal no abnormalities,
they are usually interpreted individually rather than recognized as patterns. Those who detect these signals early
If you read this, you can take action before the symptoms become more apparent.
The signals I've filed away
Around the same time, I started having cramps after eating. Not always, not
predictable—but often enough that I started silently sorting through in my head which
Which foods were safe and which weren't. I never called it a problem.
On top of that, I was constantly sick. Every cold that went around the office found its way to me—and
ended up staying for three weeks instead of three days. I've been making jokes about my weak immune system
done.
None of it felt connected. Each symptom had its own
A mental filing system: back issues, stomach issues, immune system issues. Taken individually, everything was
manageable. Taken individually, everything had an explanation.
Two years later, I was lying awake at two in the morning—too exhausted to get up, and too
I was too wired to sleep. That's when everything fell apart.
Why the body never starts out loud
That's the part I wish I'd known earlier: The body almost never starts with a
Crisis. It starts softly, repeats itself, becomes a little clearer—and only then gets louder,
if nothing changes. By the time it gets so loud that you can't ignore it anymore, it's usually been going on for a very long time
spoken.
By the time it's loud enough that you can't ignore it anymore, your body has
have usually been spoken for a very long time.
This isn't due to a character flaw, but to biology. A nervous system under
Chronic stress drains resources wherever it can—digestion, immune function, sleep—
because it considers these areas less urgent than the task of getting you through the day
... Research refers to the sum of these adaptation costs as the “allostatic load.”
(McEwen, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1998). In the short term, this is a
a sensible emergency measure. Over the years, this becomes a permanent situation with
Side effects.
Three Signs That Are Often Overlooked
Tension with no underlying cause. Back, neck, jaw. You went to the doctor, and there's nothing wrong.
Structural issues. That doesn't mean it's nothing—it means the cause lies elsewhere.
Digestion that reacts to stress. Bloating, cramps, a stomach that feels different on Mondays
It works the same way as on Sundays. The gut and the brain are in constant communication via the nervous system
This connection is why stress can have an immediate effect on digestion (Mayer,
*Nature Reviews Neuroscience*, 2011).
Infections that linger too long. It’s not just the frequency that’s the warning sign—it’s the duration.
If your body suddenly takes three weeks to recover from a common cold, that's a
Information about your reserves.
What makes it even harder today
To hear a whisper, the room must be quiet. And the room isn't quiet.
Every day there's a new AI update, a reorganization, or a news story that, according to
requires a response. Our nervous system was not designed for this pace, nor for this
We've built up a lot of input. We process more changes in a week than we used to
Generations in a single year—on top of a full-time job.
When everything outside is loud, the quiet voice inside is the first thing you stop hearing.
Not because she had stopped speaking. But because she is sinking.
I worked in IT project management for over ten years. The people around me
They were exceptionally good at interpreting external signals: risk registers,
Escalation paths, early warning indicators. We've built entire systems to identify small problems before they become big ones.
Almost none of us have applied this to ourselves.
The Smallest Possible Practice
I'm not going to tell you to meditate for an hour. You won't do it, and
I wouldn't have done it back then either.
But there's a version of it that lasts about ninety seconds: Stop once at the
Take a moment and ask yourself a question—what am I actually feeling right now? Not what you feel
You should. Not what's on the calendar. What's actually there.
Most people don't get any response at all on their first few tries. That, too, is a
Information. People usually say that the room has been noisy for quite some time.
Keep asking. The answers will come.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are the early warning signs of stress?
Early warning signs of stress are physical changes that occur before
leads to significant exhaustion. This includes recurring muscle tension without
orthopedic findings, digestive problems such as cramps or bloating after the
Eating, frequent infections that last an unusually long time, trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
despite feeling tired and experiencing an inner restlessness that doesn't subside even on vacation.
A characteristic feature is that these signals appear nonspecific when considered individually and only become apparent in the
In this context, a pattern emerges.
Why do doctors often find nothing wrong when patients have stress-related symptoms?
Standard tests look for structural or inflammatory changes.
Stress-related symptoms, on the other hand, result from an altered regulation of the
nervous system, which is usually not reflected in routine test results. A normal test result
Therefore, it does not rule out a physical cause—it merely excludes certain conditions
... That is exactly why a medical evaluation is always the first step.
Can stress really cause digestive problems?
The gut and the brain communicate via the nervous system, hormones, and neurotransmitters
constantly. Prolonged tension affects mobility and blood flow
and intestinal sensitivity, which can manifest as bloating, cramps, or irregular
may be accompanied by bowel movements. Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms therefore often occur during periods of high
Stress builds up there or intensifies. How can I tell the difference between normal fatigue and a warning sign?
Normal fatigue improves with sleep and rest. It is more likely to be a warning sign if,
if you still feel exhausted despite getting enough sleep, if you're tired and
you're feeling hyper at the same time, or if, after a weekend or vacation, there's no
a noticeable improvement sets in. Even if several symptoms occur simultaneously over a period of months
If these symptoms persist, it suggests a pattern rather than temporary fatigue.
When should I start looking for support?
It makes sense to seek support as soon as you realize that you're managing your symptoms rather than understanding them
– so if you're already organizing your daily life around your symptoms without realizing it,
where they come from. You don't have to wait until things come to a complete standstill. When there's heavy
Exhaustion, persistent pain, or psychological stress is always accompanied by a
medical evaluation regarding this.
What happens during an introductory interview?
During the free introductory consultation, we'll spend thirty minutes discussing where you are right now
what you've already tried and what's weighing on you the most. By the end, you'll know,
whether and how coaching can help you. There's no sales pitch and no
Commitment.
Do you recognize yourself in these signs?
I'm Petra Psenner, a health coach in Munich, and I work with working women whose
The body sends signals for which there is no explanation in the medical report—during times of stress,
stress-related exhaustion and irritable bowel syndrome. My sessions take place
Most meetings take place via Google Meet; in-person meetings in Munich are available upon request.
→ Schedule a free introductory consultation
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for a medical diagnosis,
Treatment or psychotherapy. As a health coach, I’ll guide and support you
in addition to your medical care.