Stress: Causes of Stress

Ever Feel Stressed out?

Stress is a normal part of life. It is caused by work, relationships, surroundings (such as noise, traffic, bad roads unconducive living environment), or a number of other factors.

So, what is Stress?

Stress as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) is, any type of change that causes physical, emotional or psychological strain.   

Stress, in the medical context is a state of mental tension and worry, caused by problems in your life, work, etc. or can be put simply as something that causes strong feelings of worry or anxiety.  

Stress, in the physical context is your body's response to certain situations that require attention or action.  Stress is also subjective, every single individual in the world reacts differently to stress, so what change or action or situation that seem stressful for you may not be stressful to someone else. 

Stress can be external (from the environment, psychological, or social situations) or internal (illness, or from a medical procedure).

 

How we respond to stress is what makes the difference to our overall health and well-being.

Are there different kinds of stress?

Yes, there are many different kinds of stress and not all of them are bad. In fact, stress heightens your senses, helping you to avoid accidents, power through unexpected deadlines, or stay clear-minded in chaotic situations. 

However, stress is meant to be temporary. Your body should return to a natural state after the situation has passed. Your heart rate should slow, your muscles should relax, and your breathing should return to normal.

Concepts such as anxiety, antagonism, exhaustion, frustration, distress, despair, overwork, pre-menstrual tension, over-focusing, confusion, mourning, and fear could all come together in a general broad term, STRESS. When all these are around for long it becomes Bad Stress.

Everyone feels stress in different ways and reacts to it in different ways. How much stress you experience and how you react to it can lead to a wide variety of health problems; from high blood pressure, to asthma, to ulcers, to irritable bowel syndrome, to insomnia, to chronic fatigue and mental exhaustion. That’s why it’s critical to know what you can do about it.

But if when you’ve got an unexpected bill, a dead car battery or family trouble on your hands, and you are you like a cartoon character with steam shooting out of your ears, you need help.

Causes of Stress

Stress can be caused by more than a thousand and one reasons. It can come from every single angle of your life, it could be due to a deadline at work or could simply be the kids who won’t stop screaming. Here are some major factors that causes stress;

• Financial Worries
• Health Worries
• Relationships
• Bereavement
• Traumatic Events such as natural disaster rape theft etc.
• Long working Hours
• Heavy workload
• Feeling of Insecurity
• Facing discrimination, harassment etc.

You should note that your stressors are based on your personality, type of work, relationships, life events and most of all how you respond to it.

See also: 10 Effective ways to deal with stress

Signs & Symptoms of stress 

1. Aches and Pains

Headache, Backache, Neck ache, Stomach ache, Tight muscles, Clenched jaw

2. Abnormal Energy Level and Irregular Sleep

Feeling tired without a good reason, Trouble sleeping/Sleeplessness

3. Emotional Signs

Anxiety, Anger, Depression, Helplessness, out of control, Tensed, Impatience.

So…What makes Stress Bad?

Stress can manifest as fear, worry, inability to relax. Increased heart rate, difficulty in breathing, disturbance in sleep patterns, change in eating patterns, difficulty in concentrating, worsening pre-existing health conditions and can increase the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

When you are in a stressful situation, your body launches a physical response. Your nervous system springs into action, releasing hormones that prepares you for fight or flight response. That is why you notice that your heartbeat speeds up, your muscles get tensed and you begin to sweat. 

This kind of stress is temporary (Acute Stress), and the body quickly recovers from it. But if the stress system in the body stays active for too long, (chronic stress) it leads to serious health implications. 

Due to the constant rush of stress hormones, wear and tear principle becomes active and causes the body to age faster making you prone to illnesses. 

Managing your stress can make a real difference to your health. 

NOTE: Untreated stress can lead to serious health problems affecting mind, body and spirit, and also promotes self-destructive behavior and tendency to accidents.

What can you do about stress?

It’s impossible to completely eliminate bad stress from your life, because the pressures and demands of modern life may put your body in a heightened state for a long period of time. But you can learn to avoid and manage it.

Take a positive step to reduce stress in your life by trying the following;

1. Avoid taking several major life changes at a time.

2. Be good to yourself, eat well, sleep well and enjoy yourself.

3. Don't set unrealistic targets for yourself.

4. Avoid using drugs and alcohol.

5. Connect socially, as it’s easy to isolate yourself after an uneventful situation.

6. Partake in aerobic exercise for 20 mins three times a week.

7. Book a massage to ease tension, soothe muscle ache and rejuvenate you.