Stress and Life

Events don't have to be traumatic in order to cause stress in life. People and places in your daily routine are often sources of everyday stress in life. Before you can learn to manage it, you must become aware of the things in your daily life that are creating stress.

Causes of Everyday Stress

Stress and life often go hand in hand, as stress can occur whenever you feel you are being faced with a situation that is beyond your control or taxes your limits. Many people accept stress as a given part of our modern lifestyle. Here are a few common sources of everyday stress of life:

• Daily hassles: These include the annoyances you face on a daily basis such as noise, poor lighting and traffic.
• Family and relationships: No matter how much you love your relatives, you won't always see eye to eye. Perhaps you're caring for a family member who is ill, or just trying to keep your house clean with playful toddlers underfoot. Conflicts and pressures between you and the people closest to you can lead to stress.
• Finances: Worry about the mortgage, expensive home repairs and the rising cost of living can be extremely stressful.
• Over-scheduling: Sometimes days get so busy, you feel like you barely have time to take a breath. You may be working long hours, toting kids to various activities after school or trying to earn a degree in your spare time. When you have too many things to accomplish in a day, stress in life often results.
• Work: Your job may cause stress if you have to deal with boredom, competition, changing shifts, criticism, time pressure, difficult personalities, interruptions, lack of job security or loneliness.

Managing Everyday Stress and Life

If you're feeling stressed out, take a good look and see which people or events are triggering your stress of life. Some stressors can be eliminated. You may be able to find a job that makes you happier, or spend less time with people who are particularly negative or critical. Perhaps you can eliminate a few obligations if your schedule is too full, or find an alternate route to work that has less traffic.

No matter how many positive changes you make, some sources of stress in life are unavoidable. You can, however, take some simple steps to help you relax and cope:

• Don't be too hard on yourself or others.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet and avoid too much caffeine.
• Exercise regularly.
• Learn to say no when you are overtaxed.
• Meditate for a few minutes each day.
• Partake in hobbies you enjoy.
• Share your feelings with people you love and trust.
• Take life one moment at a time.
• Visualize calm and successful outcomes.

Resources

Mental Health America. (2010). Stress: Coping with everyday problems. Retrieved August 16, 2010, from http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/stress/stress-coping-with-everyday-problems/stress-coping-with-everyday-problems

Winkler, M. (2008). Stress in daily life. Retrieved August 16, 2010, from http://web4health.info/el/answers/soma-daily-hassles.htm