This document discusses various causes of stress in 3 categories: 1. Survival stress and internal stress which are instinctual fight or flight responses and self-generated worrying. 2. Environmental stress from one's physical surroundings like noise, crowds, work/family pressures. 3. Fatigue from overwork at jobs, school, home which is difficult to avoid but builds up over time. Major life changes, daily hassles, learning/work stresses, and social/internal factors are also discussed as stressors. Identifying causes is the first step to better managing stress.

1. Stress Diary Journal Guides Guide 2: Causes of Stress
Guide 2: Causes of
Stress
Stress Causes
Stress Diary Journal
Your Guide  Survival stress
 Internal stress
 Environmental stress
What cause stress?
 Fatigue and overwork
Many different things can cause stress. a response to things around
stress - from physical (such as you that cause stress, such as  Major life changes
fear of something dangerous) Internal stress - Have you noise, crowding, and pressure
to emotional (such as worry ever caught yourself worrying from school, work or family.  Daily hassles and
over your family or career.) about things you can do nothing Identifying these environmental demands
Identifying what may be causing about or worrying for no rea- stresses and learning to avoid
you stress is often the first son at all? This is internal them or deal with them will help
step in learning how to better stress and it is one of the most lower your stress level.
deal with your stress. Some of important kinds of stress to
the most common sources of understand and manage. Fatigue and overwork - This
stress are: Internal stress is when people kind of stress builds up over a
make themselves stressed. This long time and can take a hard
Survival stress - You may often happens when we worry toll on your body. It can be
have heard the phrase "fight or about things we can't control or caused by working too much or
flight" before. This is a common put ourselves in situations we too hard at your job(s), school,
response to danger in all people know will cause us stress. or home. It can also be caused
and animals. When you are Some people become addicted by not knowing how to manage
afraid that someone or to the kind of hurried, tense, your time well or how to take
something may physically hurt lifestyle that results from being time out for rest and relaxation.
you, your body naturally under stress. They even look This can be one of the hardest
responds with a burst of energy for stressful situations and feel kinds of stress to avoid
so that you will be better able stress about things that aren't because many people feel this
to survive the dangerous stressful. is out of their control. We may
situation (fight) or escape it all think of stressful events as
together (flight). This is survival Environmental stress - This is unpleasant ones, such as losing
Top 10 S tressful Life E vents
a job or having difficulties at our mental and physical health. 8. Fired from job
home or at school. But changes 9. Marriage reconciliation ‘A stressors has
for the better can also cause Top Ten Stressful Life Events 10. Retirement a tendency,
stress, like a new baby, a Source: Holmes-Rahe Life
wedding, and a new house. In an 1. Spouse’s death, loss of a Stress Inventory when taking
ideal world, maybe we could get significant other hold, to
away from stressful situations, 2. Divorce or break-up The potential causes of stress accumulate
or change them. Too often we 3. Marriage or relationship are numerous and highly
can't do that - but we can learn separation individual. What you consider
manifold, until
to control our response to 4. Jail term stressful depends on many it is too late!
those situations. And we can 5. Death of a close relative factors, including your
develop techniques that will 6. Injury or illness personality, general outlook on
reduce the effects of stress on 7. Marriage life, problem-solving abilities,

2. Page 2 Stress Diary Journal
M ajor Life C hanges
and social support system. stressors as being negative, Major life changes
Something that's stressful to such as an exhausting work
you may not faze someone else, schedule or a rocky Major life events are stressors.
or they may even enjoy it. For relationship. However, anything Whether it be a divorce, a child
example, your morning that forces us to adjust can be leaving home, a planned
commute may make you a stressor. This includes pregnancy, a move to a new
anxious and tense because you positive events such as getting town, a career change,
worry that traffic will make you married, moving to a higher graduating from college, or a
late. Others, however, may find academic level or receiving a diagnosis of cancer, the faster
the trip relaxing because they promotion. Regardless of or more dramatic the change,
allow more than enough time whether an event is good or the greater the strain.
and enjoy listening to music bad, if the adjustment it re- Furthermore, the more major
while they drive or travel. quires strains our coping skills life changes you’re dealing with
The pressures and demands and adaptive resources - the at any one time, the more
that cause stress are known as end result is stress. stress you’ll feel.
stressors. We usually think of
Daily stressors
“ Because
Daily hassles and demands Daily causes of stress For people living in
these small While major life changes are include: crime-ridden areas or
stressful, they are also relative Environmental stressors – Your war-torn regions, the stress
upsets rarities. You may battle traffic, physical surroundings can set may be unrelenting.
occur so argue with your family off the stress response. Family and relationship
members, or worry about your Examples of environmental stressors – Problems with
regularly, finances on a daily basis. stressors include an unsafe friends, romantic partners, and
they end up Because these small upsets neighbourhood, pollution, noise family members are common
occur so regularly, they end up (sirens keeping you up at night, daily stressors. Marital
affecting us affecting us the most. a barking dog next door), and disagreements, dysfunctional
the most” uncomfortable living conditions. relationships, someone close
Internal causes of stress
action rebellious, or caring for office politics, and conflicts lack of social support all take a
a chronically-ill family member with your boss or co-workers. toll on daily quality of life.
or a child with special needs, Learning stressors include: the
can all send stress levels need to perform, attention and Internal Causes of Stress
skyrocketing. focus, time, deadlines, costs Not all stress is caused by
Learning or Work stressors – and authority. external pressures and
In our career-driven society, Social stressors – Your social demands. Your stress can also
work can be an ever-present situation can cause stress. For be self-generated. Internal
source of stress. Work stress example, poverty, financial causes of stress include:
is caused by things such as job pressures, racial and sexual
dissatisfaction, an exhausting discrimination or harassment, Uncertainty or worries
workload, insufficient pay, unemployment, isolation, and a Pessimistic attitude

3. Page 3 Guide 2: Causes of Stress
E ffects of C hronic stress
Self-criticism ability to adapt. When stress infection, throws your digestive
Unrealistic expectations or overwhelms our coping system off balance, makes it
beliefs resources, our bodies and difficult to conceive a baby, and
Perfectionism minds suffer. can even stunt growth in
Low self-esteem children.
Excessive or unexpressed Health effects
anger Recent research suggests that Stress and Your Health
Lack of assertiveness anywhere from 60 to 90 Many medical conditions are
percent of illness is caused or exacerbated by
Effects of chronic stress stress-related. The physical stress, including:
Chronic stress wears you down wear and tear of stress
day after day and year after includes damage to the Chronic pain
year, with no visible escape. cardiovascular system and Migraines
Under sustained or severe immune system suppression. Ulcers
stress, even the most Stress compromises your Heartburn
well-adjusted person loses the ability to fight off disease and High blood pressure
S tress and your health
“ Many medical
Heart disease your mental health, causing Eating disorders,
Diabetes emotional damage in addition to Substance abuse. conditions are
Asthma physical ailments. Long-term Personality changes
caused or
PMS stress can even rewire the brain, Severe stress and trauma
Obesity leaving you more vulnerable exacerbated by
Infertility to everyday pressures and Severe stress reactions can
Autoimmune diseases less able to cope. Over time, result from sudden, stress”
Irritable bowel syndrome stress can lead to mental health catastrophic events or
Skin problems problems such as: traumatic experiences such as
a natural disaster, sexual
Emotional effects Anxiety assault, life-threatening
Chronic stress grinds away at Depression accident, or participation in
P ost-Traumatic S tress Disorder
combat. After the initial shock known as post-traumatic stress danger
and emotional fallout, many disorder (PTSD). Chronic irritability and tension
trauma victims gradually begin Depression.
to recover from its effects. But Common symptoms of PTSD
for some people, the stress include: PTSD is a serious disorder that
symptoms don't go away, the Flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, requires professional
body doesn’t regain its equi- or nightmares about the trauma
intervention
librium, and life doesn’t return to Avoidance of places and things
normal. This severe and associated with the trauma
persisting reaction to trauma is Hyper-vigilance for signs of

4. Page 4
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