The biggest causes of stress can be classified into different categories:
Environmental
Workplace
Life changes
Daily life event
Environmental Stress
Can be caused by poor air quality by living in a city, working in a hair salon and managing chemicals, or even bad air conditioning and breathing in second hand smoke.
Environmental stress can also be caused by getting caught in a traffic jam, attempting to be productive when your work space is cluttered and unorganized, or if the level of noise we are working or living in is unbearable.
Environmental stress is anything having to do with the environment we are living in. Even artificial or poor lighting can cause stress.
What type of environmental stress do you suffer from?
Workplace Stress
Another one of the main causes of stress is workplace stress.
The causes of workplace stress are mostly from conditions in the work environment.
Work related stress differs in various cultures and countries, but the most stressful jobs are police work, psychologists, teachers, dentists, doctors and nurses.
It should be noted that the most stressful jobs are not the same as the most dangerous. The most dangerous job, worldwide, is fishing--for tuna, swordfish and other very large fish!
The level of support offered in the environment determines the level of stress symptoms experienced by the employee.
Employers should be aware of their levels of responsibility in ensuring that employees are not experiencing prolonged chronic stress due to work pressure and environment.
Workplace stress
can occur due to work overload, poor time management, long working hours, job insecurity, no control over work load or delegation of tasks, lack of communication and harassment.
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Life Changes
Life changes can include anything that alters the usual daily life routine.
The main causes of stress in this category are:
a death in the family
divorce or separation
moving to a different house
moving to a new school
a loved one with an illness or disease
a birth in the family
Daily Life Event
Any situation or event that add something different to your daily routine. They can be anything from sitting an exam at school, from paying bills, to being in an accident, or in a traffic jam. Dealing with a difficult ex-partner, natural disaster, terrorist attack, or having to change a light bulb on a not-so-sturdy chair!
10 Most Common Causes of Stress:
According to Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe University of Washington School of Medicine, the 10 main causes of stress that are rated on the Social Readjustment Rating Scale are:
1. Death of a spouse 2. Divorce 3. Marital Separation 4. Jail term 5. Death of a close family member 6. Personal injury or illness 7. Marriage 8. Fired at work 9. Marital reconciliation 10. Retirement
As you can see, the main causes of stress are fairly common. We all experience stress almost daily.
Some stressors are far more intense than others, but
HOW we handle stress
is the most important factor in determining whether stress will be good or bad for our health and our lives in general.
