What’s often been pondered is whether there’s a connection between the most significant events in our lives and the illnesses that we contract. If there’s an actual correlation between the significant hardships of life, and if they’re somehow related to the stress that we experience.
What was investigated are a series of causes which are known to contribute to elevate stress and anxiety in our daily lives, and the types of actions that we can take to alleviate them. It was also found that certain types of stress are completely unavoidable.
For almost everyone, stress is unwanted, while most have no idea how dangerous it can be, this especially if it remains in the body long term. Certain parts of the body begins to deteriorate, causing unhealthy adverse effects.
Where stress begins and ends is in the brain, where there are sudden incidences of unexpected surges of stress once we begin to feel anxious. Once these stress hormones are released, then sleeping, concentrating, or relaxing can be affected.
Although small doses of stress is helpful to provide motivation, or a jolt of energy, but what’s known is that the human body isn’t built to receive extended stress over long periods of time.
Major Causes Of Stress In Our Life
Financial Issues
The state of our finances is one of the main causes of stress. Almost everyone is affected, citing major purchases that they need to make, such as buying a car or a house, as big concerns.
Others become stressed by a lack of money or mounting debt. Younger people fret over paying for an education, or the accumulating student loans. Older individuals worry about their retirement savings and income.
Type Of Occupation
What goes hand in hand with finances is their chosen occupation, the career that they’ve picked. The stability and income of their jobs is a constant source of stress.
What activates the stress is keeping their jobs, earning more, or advancing via promotion. They also worry about an increased workload leading to more responsibly.
The struggles of climbing the corporate ladder, becoming overwhelmed by their demands, the work conditions which are constantly changing, and coworker conflicts, are also contributors.
Immediate Family Relationships
The saying rings true that “you can pick your friends but not your relatives.” Family, regardless of how great and comfortable they might be, are another cause of stress.
Arguments can easily erupt with any family member, siblings, relatives, and more usually the spouse. Parents get separated or divorced. Children marry those you don’t like.
The ebb and flows that family life provides is constantly filled with conflict and chaos. Children grow up, you grow old, they move out, and you feel abandoned.
The health of family members, such as illness, serious injury, or mental struggle all activates stress. Changes in family dynamics such as job loss can cause angst.
Personal Issues And Concerns
Personal issues which may be directly or indirectly created by others can lead to stress. The lack of control one has, is on the top of the list of concerns.
What we want as humans, is a deep rooted desire for we to control our own destiny, to make our own choices. But if we ever lose that, once this control is taken away from us, we then experience stress.
For most, the lack of control over our lives leads to annoyance and concern. What we all want is to control our own fate, or to dictate what or how we do things, this around the home or at work, but that’s not always possible.
What we also want is to control our time, rather than allowing others to do so, but demands and circumstances go out of our control, as doing so always isn’t possible.
Our Own Personal Health And Safety
Some claim that their personal health is the leading cause of stress. This worry is linked to their obesity, longevity, or that medical issue they currently have, which they know nothing about.
For others, the stress can be generated by certain personal bad habits which affects their health, and know they need to change. Instances include smoking, drinking too much alcohol, or recreational substance abuse.
If there’s any type of illness or injury, this whether minor or acute, or issues with incontinence, they can also be ongoing concerns. The degree of stress depends on how serious things are, and our personal outlook.
Personal safety is also important. Women especially tends to stress when it comes to their safety. Older adults stress more than younger people, as they are more vulnerable. Crime and the unknown are big factors.
State Of Personal Relationships
Whether it’s a friendship, a marriage which leads to separation or divorce, remarrying, or any other type of relationship, all can lead towards various levels of stress for many.
What we all want is everlasting love without conflict, and we hope that it’s potentially possible in every relationship. Getting it however is a big cause of anxiety.
Some will resort to online dating as it’s easier to get “dumped,” and not as painful. Others will just withdraw and become reclusive. Regardless, these major stress points aren’t independent and will compound into each other.
To Manage The Angst
The causes of stress will change as we age. Kids who throw temper tantrums when young, will grow into young students, who become stressed out by that upcoming exam.
Teenagers become stress by their appearance, if they’re liked, hormones, and peer pressure interferes. Adults then attempt to handle the stresses which are associated with living life and aging.
Regardless, various degrees of stress for different reasons will always follow us throughout our life. So knowing the causes of them, and then avoiding or handling them becomes important.