Causes of Stress and How to Manage

Are you affected negatively by distress? How is it upsetting your life? What are you doing to ease your discomfort? Many of us struggle with handling the consequences from the causes of stress on a daily basis.

Here is a portion of a study done by American Psychological Association, American Institute of Stress, NY conducted on July 28, 2013 that shows the impact of stress on peoples' lives:

Percent who say stress has a negative impact on their personal and professional life: 48%

Employed adults who say they have difficulty managing work and family responsibilities: 31%

Percent who cited jobs interfering with their family or personal time as a significant source of stress: 35%

Percent who said stress has caused them to fight with people close to them: 54%

Reported being alienated from a friend or family member because of stress: 26%

Annual costs to employers in stress related health care and missed work: $300 billion

Percent who say they are "always" or "often" under stress at work: 30%

Are these statistics surprising to you? Access the link, if you would like to see the complete study regarding stress statistics.

Handling Types of Stress

Are you seeking relief from tension? There are different types of stress. Therefore the technique you use to relieve your suffering depends on which type you may be experiencing. Here are a few suggestions for how to deal with stress, depending on the circumstance.

For instance . . .

The Present Moment

You become agitated by a situation that happens in the present moment, which a co-worker or family member may say or do something that upsets you.

When you are frustrated and feel anxious due to a situation in the here and now, focus on breathing deeply from the abdomen. Concentrate on how your abdomen contracts when you exhale and expands when you inhale. Practicing being aware of this will help calm you down and bring the reactions your body experiences caused by anxiety back into balance.

Feeling Overwhelmed

You feel overwhelmed with all of the responsibilities that you have to accomplish within the next week or month at work and home.

When you are feeling discouraged due to all of the duties that need to be completed, then it is best to gain control over the tasks that are causing you to worry. One way of doing this is to effectively manage your tasks at home and work. For example, determine what is urgent and what is important. Doing what is important first will help you to decrease the stress you have from feeling overwhelmed. Doing what is urgent first is not always what is important.

Limiting Beliefs

You feel distraught thinking that you are not capable of achieving your personal life goals, because other people in your life doubt you.

When others doubt your ability; do not let it worry you in a way that affects how you think and feel about yourself. One way of accomplishing this is by dealing with how you perceive yourself and the situation. Control your thinking by being mindful of your thoughts, think logically, and positively. When negative thoughts come to your mind; purposely and immediately replace them with thoughts that are more reasonable and positive. This helps you to reduce pressure caused by the disbelieving perception you have of yourself. Believe In Yourself!

If you would like more tips on how to cope with stress, then visit the Self Improvement Information Page on this website.

"Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy".

~Norman Vincent Peale