Although everyone experiences stress in different ways and for a variety of reasons, the one sure thing about stress is that it has unhealthy side effects. If you find that you are continually stressed out to the point where it’s affecting the way you live, work and interact with others, it’s time to take a good, long look at what is causing your chronic stress and how you can make your life a little more stress-free.
Stress: The Silent Killer
It would seem that with all the technological advances made in just the past few decades, life would be simpler and more stress-free than at any other time in human history. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case and now chronic stress is largely regarded as the number one silent killer.
Stress aggravates your hormonal and psychological systems, which dysregulates your nervous system and causes your body to release more cortisol and adrenaline. Chronically high levels of cortisol can cause you to be consistently anxious, forgetful, and can give you brain fog. It can also slow digestion, cause ulcers, suppress your immune system, and can accelerate your body’s aging process. In fact, when left unchecked, it is so unhealthy that the American Psychological Association has found that stress factors into the top six causes of death in the United States, which include:
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Lung ailments
- Cirrhosis of the liver
- Accidents
- Suicide
Furthermore, in an article published in the Miami Herald, the American Psychological Association goes on to say that at least three-fourths of all visits to the doctor are the direct result of stress-related complaints and ailments. So, locating the causes of your stress, reducing or eliminating them, and learning how to lower your stress levels is essential to living a healthy and productive life.
Common Causes of Work-Related Stress
Before being able to counteract the unhealthy side effects of stress, it’s important to take note of the most common causes of stress. These causes can be broken down into two distinct categories, with the first being work-related stressors. Common causes of stress on the job include such things as:
- Too many responsibilities
- Heavy workloads
- Poor management with unrealistic or unclear expectations
- Long hours
- Dangerous work conditions
- Job insecurity
- Harassment and/or discrimination
- Difficulty getting along with coworkers
Sometimes employers offer stress counseling through HR and other times you are left to find solutions on your own, perhaps through your family physician. In either case, it is vital to understand just what stress can do to you and those around you if you don’t find ways to effectively reduce or eliminate it before experiencing the unhealthy effects.
Common Causes of Stress in Your Home Life
The general topic that usually encompasses much of home life stress is family. Whether that be caring for an ailing parent or starting and caring for a family of your own, family can cause a lot of stress. Many parents will tell you that their kids cause them plenty of stress as they are worried about supporting and being there for them, keeping a roof over their head, and raising them into responsible adults. However, caring for your family isn’t the only source of household stress. Here are a few other culprits:
- Death of a loved one
- Loss of employment
- Divorce
- Getting engaged and married
- Increased financial obligations
- Moving to a new area or home
- Illness in the family
- Traumatic events such as violence, theft, rape, natural or manmade disasters
Finding Relief Sooner Rather Than Later
It doesn’t take much to understand that stress can have a profoundly negative effect on your health and wellbeing. As mentioned, it has been linked to each of the six leading causes of deaths in the United States. Knowing this, it isn’t monumental to consider that something must be done sooner rather than later to minimize stress. Why wait to have that life-threatening heart attack to finally decide that it’s time to reduce your stress levels?
If you learn the warning signs of stress and act in a timely manner, many of the more serious consequences of prolonged stress can be mitigated, if not eliminated altogether. Start with an honest introspection into the underlying cause, or causes, of the stress you are now experiencing. Once you’ve identified them, you can go on to finding ways to deal with those stresses.
Whether you seek counseling, start planning better for the financial future of your family, simply decide to change jobs, or take time off to relax, the time to act is now. Minimizing your prolonged stress and taking active steps to reduce chronic stress will help you avoid the serious consequences prolonged stress can have on your health. The sooner you learn stress-relieving techniques, the easier it will be to avoid those unhealthy consequences.
Now you know what chronic stress can lead to, so why suffer when help is out there? It’s up to you to find that help and, in the end, that’s the best thing you can do to ensure a happier and healthier quality of life.
