In life, at one point or another we are confronted with the impulse to do more, to achieve much and accomplish goals that we have set for ourselves and also those set by others for us.

![0xtoo9.jpg](https://img.esteem.app/0xtoo9.jpg)
[Source](https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-working-using-a-laptop-2696299/)

After reading [this](https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2020/01/i-wish-i-d-taken-my-mental-health-more-seriously-grad-school) article, I was surprised because I was able to relate with the author's stress tells: "I realized that my anxiety could be the direct cause of the numbness in my hands. The perpetual stress was triggering tension in my shoulders, and that, in turn, was putting pressure on my nerves and cutting off the circulation to my extremities." Desiree Dickerson.

The same thing happened to me while I was pursuing my undergrad degree. I remember I was pooped at some point and felt I needed a break, but there was no clear-cut way in which I could get a formal break from the 'system', and the dept. chairman thought I wanted to give up.

I decided to push on and get it over with but ended up failing. During this time I remember getting the above symptoms, but all the tutors and lecturers in charge could do to help is make sport of my predicament. 

Somehow I managed to get out with my degree after an appeal process and resits but I made my mind up to never subject myself to that kind of stressful situation.

An extreme example of another person who suffered from psychosomatic symptoms of stress is the author of [Burn Zones](https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/home/productlinks/customize?asin=1619613204&request_source=quicklinks&subflow=sp_) *(affiliate link)*. I remember a gnashing-of-teeth period he spoke of after he lost some buildings, was publicly shamed and ended up buried in millions of dollars in debt.