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Stressful situations happen to each of us almost daily: from a small nuisance that we barely notice, to serious traumatic events, the impact of which is felt for a long time. Which of the stressors most often cause anxiety? That’s what psychologists say.
Even short episodes can cause severe stress, and habitual everyday situations can cause chronic emotional fatigue. Stressful situations can be divided into three categories:
1. Sharp. These events do not last long, but promise lasting consequences if the situation was psychologically traumatic.
2. Episodic. Also short-term stresses that we encounter regularly, for example, when we are in a hurry to work.
3. Chronic. These are current stresses that have become permanent, such as illness or a falling apart relationship.
What stressors cause us the most anxiety?
1. Appearance
Who among us has never experienced wrinkles, weight or figure? Psychologist Allen Kanner and his colleagues have developed a “ups and downs” scale that ranks stresses in terms of their impact on a person’s life. More than half of the respondents put concern about their weight in the first place.
2. Job
According to the conference “Stress in the workplace: a collective challenge”, about 40% of Russians experience stress at work, in Western Europe this figure is slightly lower – 36%.
Professional breakdowns not only affect the employees themselves, they are also costly for employers: a huge amount of sick leave is associated with stress.
3. Social factors
This includes the desire to succeed in life, to achieve the ideal replicated in all sorts of media. For example, self-restraint for the sake of a perfect body can result in eating disorders.
Social minorities are also at risk, often subject to prejudice: exclusion from society, harassment, discrimination. Ian Meyer of the University of California found that such stress can lead to mental health problems.
4. Health
Fear for the health of loved ones, the experience of one’s own illness and loss of control over what is happening can become a source of constant anxiety. Moreover, the stress associated with such fears often leads to real health problems.
5. Life changes
The need to adapt to new circumstances is another stressor. It doesn’t matter if it’s a change for better or worse.
American psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Reich developed a rating scale for the difficulty of adapting to social change. According to her, the most stressful factors are the death of a partner or divorce, in the scale they take the first and second places, respectively. And, for example, the move was in 28th place.
6. Finance
Debts, bills, loan repayments, the need to support other people financially, the inability to live comfortably and retire safely – all these factors lead to a feeling of financial insecurity that provokes stress.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution, although the best way to ease financial stress is to learn how to manage your income and expenses.
7. Relationships
Even the happiest relationships can be a source of stress for both partners. When people begin to live together, they need to adapt to each other’s habits, to the reduction of personal space.
Domestic problems in the end can lead to a break. But good relationships with a partner and friends are the two most significant factors on the Kanner scale that improve our condition and help fight stress.
Being aware of your partner’s feelings, understanding how your actions affect others, all reduce the risk of relationship stress. But the constant search for compromises has the opposite effect.
8. Death of loved ones
The shock of losing or fearing the loss of a loved one is an obvious stressor. Caring for a dying person, arranging a funeral, and other situations associated with this sad event certainly increase stress. In addition, it takes time to adjust to the absence of a person in your life.
9. The past
Trauma caused by events in the past can take years to come. About a third of people who are in a traumatic situation subsequently develop post-traumatic stress disorder.