Sources
of Stress
There are several major sources of stress:
· Survival stress
· Internally
generated stress
· Environmental
and job stress
· Chemical and
Nutritional stresses
· Lifestyle and job stress
· Fatigue and overwork
These different sources of stress are explained in more detail
below:
Stress occurs through the evil outside ie, external events and
the evil inside, ie, negative self talk, self doubt, etc.
Examples of external stressors would be job related stress (such
as when your boss gives you unreasonable jobs, working with
unreasonable customers), relationship induced stress (such as
marital problems, death of a spouse, divorce), money problems
(such as when all bills come due in January and you don't have
money to pay for it), etc.
Stress can also originate from emotional and psychological
causes. For example, thinking of a car accident will make people
anxious or a pending Revenue audit - even if there is nothing to
get anxious about; many find it difficult to sleep. Then they
worry about not getting enough sleep and how they will go to
work without sleep. And so on. One stressful event leads to
another and, if we don't control it, the domino effect kicks in.
Even happy events, such as a wedding, a job promotion, buying a
new home, or the birth of a child, can cause much stress. You
also might get stressed out if you cannot achieve a particular
goal or satisfy a certain wish. For instance, you may want very
much to have a child but cannot conceive. Fertility tests can't
elucidate any reasons for this, and you feel very frustrated-why
is this happening to you? Certainly this is a very emotional
issue-and one that you do not have much control over-that can
cause much stress in your life.
Stress also exists in tandem with the pressure you feel when you
perceive that negative consequences are attached to your
actions. For instance, you might feel pressured to maintain a
certain level of performance at work or else risk getting fired.
If you find yourself thinking in this way, you should stop and
consider whether the threat is real or if you are just being too
hard on yourself. You might be able to control and even
eliminate this kind of stress from your life.
Stress also stems from conflict, which is not always negative,
For instance, a conflict could occur in having to choose between
two positive goals of equal value, such as choosing between two
excellent job offers. Or your conflict could involve a choice
that has both a positive and negative outcome, such as you're
getting married but it necessitates your moving across the
country away from family and friends.
Numerous life events-such as: the death of a family member or
friend, the loss of a job, buying a house or moving, and having
a child, cause stress. Here is a list of particular life events
that will cause us high stress levels, beginning with the most
stressful event:
Death of a spouse
Divorce
Marital separation
Imprisonment
Death of a close relative
Personal injury or illness
Marriage
Fired from a job
Marital reconciliation
Retirement
Illness of a relative
Pregnancy
Sexual problems
Birth or adoption
Business readjustment
Change in financial status
Death of a close friend
Change to different work
Increased arguments with spouse
Mortgage or loan for major purchase
Foreclosure on mortgage or loan
Change in job responsibilities
Child leaving home
Problems with in-laws
Outstanding personal achievement
Spouse begins or stops work
Begin or end school
Change in living conditions
Changing personal habits
Problems with your boss
Change in work hours/conditions
Change in residence or school
Recreation
Church or social activities
Mortgage or loan for smaller purchase
Change in sleeping habits
Change in family gatherings
Change in eating habits
Vacation
Christmas
Minor law violations
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Most people realise that aspects of their work and lifestyle can
cause stress. While this is true, it is also important to note
that it can be caused by your environment and by the food and
drink you consume. The strategies that you should use to counter
stress depend on the causes of that stress.
There are several major sources of stress:
· Survival stress
· Internally
generated stress
· Environmental
and job stress
· Chemical and
Nutritional stresses
· Lifestyle and job stress
· Fatigue and overwork
These different sources of stress are explained in more detail
below:
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Survival
Stress
Where you are in a physically or emotionally threatening
situation, your body adapts to help you react more effectively
to meet the threat.
This is controlled mainly by release of adrenaline. The changes
are quite powerful and useful in a 'fight or flight' situation.
The main ones are:
· Adrenaline mobilises sugars, giving your body access to more
strength, energy and stamina. This helps you to fight harder or
run faster.
· It reduces the blood supply to your skin and short-term
inessential organs. This minimizes bleeding if you are hurt, and
ensures that energy is not wasted on processes that are not
immediately useful.
· You may experience nausea or diarrhoea: this eliminates
excess weight that might otherwise slow you down.
You may have experienced these changes as fear. Where speed and
physical strength are important this adrenaline stress will be
helpful and beneficial - fear can help you to survive or perform
better. However where calm thought or precise motor skills are
important, it is best to control and, ideally, eliminate these
adrenaline responses.
Prolonged exposure to adrenaline can damage your health.
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Internally
Generated Stress & Anxiety
Internally generated stress is stress that you cause for
yourself. This can come from anxious worrying about events
beyond your control, from a tense, hurried approach to life, or
from relationship problems caused by your own behaviour. It can
also come from an 'addiction' to and enjoyment of stress.
Stress can cause the levels of a chemical called noradrenalin to
rise in and between nerve cells. This gives a feeling of
confidence and elation that some people like. They can
subconsciously defer work until the last minute to cause a
'deadline high', or can create a stressful environment at work
that feeds their enjoyment of a situation. The downside of this
is that they may leave jobs so late that they fail when an
unexpected crisis occurs. They may also cause unnecessary stress
for other colleagues who are already under a high level of
stress.
Other aspects of personality can cause stress. Examples are
perfectionism, where extremely or impossibly high standards can
cause stress; and excessive self-effacement, where constant
attention to the needs of others can lead to dissatisfaction. A
major cause of internally generated stress in many people is
anxiety.
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Environmental
and Job Stress
Your environment may be a significant source of stress. This can
come from:
· Crowding and invasion of personal space
· Insufficient working and living space
· Noise
· Dirty or untidy conditions
· Pollution
· A badly organised or run down environment
Working environments are rarely perfect, however often you can
improve your environment quite cheaply.
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Chemical
and Nutritional Stresses
The food you eat may contribute to the stresses you experience.
Examples of stressors you may not be aware of are:
· Caffeine: this raises your levels of stress hormones, makes
it more difficult to sleep, and can make you more irritable.
Many people report as big a reduction in feelings of stress
after switching away from coffee as they do after giving up
smoking. Note that there is often as much caffeine in a cup of
tea as there is in a cup of coffee.
· Bursts of sugar from sweets or chocolate: these can make you
feel more energetic in the short term. However your body reacts
to stabilize abnormally high sugar levels by releasing too much
insulin. This causes a serious energy dip shortly after the
sugar high.
· Too much salt: This raises your blood pressure and puts your
body under chemical stress.
· Smoking: most people who smoke feel relaxed after a
cigarette. If you smoke, however, try taking you pulse before
and after a cigarette and think about the difference. Smoking
puts your body under chemical stress. Most people who have given
up smoking feel much more relaxed generally after the initial
'giving up' period is finished.
As well as these specific sources of stress, you may experience
stress if you eat an unbalanced or unhealthy diet. You may find
that some dietary deficiency or excess causes discomfort and
illness which generates stress. If you are obese, then this
causes physical stress on your internal organs and emotional
stress as your view of yourself declines.
While there is a lot of crooked, biased, naïve or incorrect
dietary information around, you can normally rely on nutritional
advice from your doctor or from government health education.
Before you accept advice, examine the motives of the people
offering the advice!
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Lifestyle
and job stress
Many of the stresses you experience may come from your job or
from your lifestyle. These may include:
· too much or too little work
· time pressures and deadlines
· responsibility for people, budgets or equipment
· frustration and boredom with current role
· lack of clear plans and goals
· demands from clients
· disruptions to plans
· frustration at having to overcome unnecessary obstacles
· financial or relationship problems
· ill-health
· family changes such as birth, death, marriage or divorce
· etc.
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Fatigue
and Overwork
Here stress builds up over a long period. This can occur where
you try to achieve too much in too little time, or where you are
not using effective time management strategies.
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