Here are a list of typical symptoms of stress for a teacher:
Physical Symptoms of Stress
Insomnia or disrupted sleep
Nausea or indigestion
Migraine or severe headache
Nail-biting
High blood pressure
Tremors, sweating or shaking
Unhealthy eating and drinking, smoking more
Backache or neckache
Deteriorating relationships with others
Lethargy or lack of energy
Mental Symptoms of Stress
Sudden anxiety or panic attacks
Inability or reluctance to make decisions, set priorities or manage deadlines
Feelings of isolation or despair
Loss of confidence
Poor concentration
Excessive or involuntary introspection, reflection and rumination, focusing on negative outcomes and self-blame
Mood swings, increased irritability, sensitivity to criticism and sudden anger
You can read more about the physical and mental symptoms of stress here and here. The text above is partly based on material on these sites.
Tackling Symptoms Sometimes Helps
It is clear that many of the physical symptoms of stress could be mistaken for indicators of other lifestyle or medical issues - an upset stomach, for example, could have a range of causes, including poor diet.
One approach to tackling stress is to tackle the symptoms. This is effective because most of the symptoms are themselves causes of stress, and their effects can be cumulative. The methods are fairly obvious:
Ensuring that we have the opportunity for enough sleep, and taking routine steps to address any obvious causes of sleeplessness;
Eating a balanced diet, and addressing any real weight issues in a measured way;
Not smoking;
Not drinking too much or relying on unprescribed medication;
Cutting down on caffeine or seeking alternatives;
A significant element of play; this includes sport, hobby, relaxing socialisation, or just me-time
Time-boxing reflection and self-analysis