If you’re anxious, angsty, tense or feeling low, it could be that you are ignoring or not recognizing some common causes of stress. The thing about these common stressors is that they are just that – common! They are everyday things we deal with and face and we think we should just take them in our stride when really, we should take a step back, realize the impact they are having on our well-being and do something about them. Some of these common causes of stress might be at the root of your “problems.”
1 Hunger Strikes
Hunger is one of the most common causes of stress. I'm sure you'd agree that it’s easy to get a bit stressed out and snappy when you need a food fix. You can avoid this one easily by never leaving the house without a snack. I’ve always got a piece of fruit, a cereal bar or a cheeky chocolate bar (for special pick-me-ups) in my bag, just in case of a hunger attack.
Frequently asked questions
2 Job – Working in a Job You Hate
Jobs usually come with a side of stress, even with a job you love. However, getting wrung out at work in a job that you hate is not only soul destroying, but you are also more likely to end up stressed and unhappy. Why not spend a bit of time working out what you love, what makes you happy and see if you can get a job in something related.
3 Loneliness –Straying from the Pack
One of the common causes of stress is loneliness. Some people can handle being alone for longer periods than others, some enjoy their own company, whereas others can’t stand not to have someone by their side at all times. As a species, humans are tribal; much like a pack of wolves, we like to stick together. We humans need the tribe to keep us away from danger – safety in numbers as they say. Being alone too often and feeling lonely can signal danger to the brain and cause you to become stressed.
4 Bad Relationships
So, we need people around us to stop us getting lonely and stressed, but we need to make sure they are the right kind of relationships. Being alone may well be better for your stress levels than being with someone who knows how to push your buttons.
5 Being a Worrier
If you spend all your time worrying about how you’re going to pay your bills, the potential extinction of pandas, when you are going to meet Mr Right, or how to end third world hunger, you are sure enough going to cause stress. Anxious thoughts are one of the most common stressors, which some people find hard to curb. Just remember, everything works out in the end. In a couple of weeks you probably won’t even remember what it was keeping you up at night.
6 Childhood Troubles
You might have to dig deep to find these and maybe revisit some places you buried, but until you heal them they will continue to haunt you, stressing you out. You might not even know that it is these memories triggering you to stress out. These triggers can be anything that remind you or your subconscious of the event, such as places, smells, songs and sounds. This might take a bit of time to learn what these are and it might not be easy to revisit these memories, but healing these can help you to rid of one of the common factors which cause stress.
7 Resentment –Let It Go
Resentments are fuel for your fire. Not being able to let something go will only result in you getting stressed out. Think about it, this resentment that you are stressing yourself out over probably has had no effect on the other person. So, don’t harbour your resentments, resolve them and move on.
8 Negative Thoughts
How much time to you spend thinking negatively? Is your glass half full or half empty? Sending negative messages to your brain all the time, like we haven’t got any money or I’ll never get where I want to be, will undoubtedly cause stress response. Did you know that optimists have 77% lower risk of heart disease than pessimists? That’s a statistic worth changing for.
9 Anger
It’s not all about acting on your anger that can cause you to feel stressed; it can be anger which you are repressing and is building up inside, sending your stress levels wild. Even trivial thoughts, like I’ve just missed my bus, can become a factor that causes stress.
If you recognize these common causes of stress for what they are, you should be able to tackle them sensibly and confidently, and find that the changes you make will do wonders for your well-being. Are you a stress-gal or an all-together lady?
