Find out your individual causes of stress

As each of us respond differently to pressure you should find the causes of stress that specifically affect you - these are your stressors.

We are all different in our upbringing, feelings, knowledge, abilities, emotional history and pressures we experience.

Stress is your reaction to excessive pressure in your environment, those pressures that you get stressed by, your stressors - may include any of those listed below - what fits you?

Physical stressors;

• excessive noise
• temperature extreme
• vibration
• weather

Chemical stressors;

• caffeine
• alcohol
• drugs
• allergens like pollen and pollution ...

Internal thoughts;

• your values and beliefs
• worry
• phobia/ fear
• limiting beliefs
• irrational thoughts
• low self worth
• your attitude ...

Social stressors;

• financial/ money problems
• deadlines and demands
• interviews
• presentations
• over-work
• disagreements/ arguments
• work:life imbalance
• bereavement
• bullying
• not feeling in control
• boredom ...

Physiological stressors;

• adolescence
• menopause
• ageing
• illness/ injury
• lack of sleep
• allergy
• intolerance ...

Remember, whilst we need a certain amount of pressure to perform well, to stimulate us, or else we get bored, when this pressure exceeds our ability to cope we experience stress.

Realise your stress is your personal reaction to a pressure you perceive you cannot cope with and may well be very different to the cause of someone else's stress. Seek your stress causes.

You can take immediate action to lessen your exposure to some of these stressors, but may have to learn to adapt to others and change your behaviour and beliefs to cope with others. These are all part of any good stress management programme.

For more information

• on other causes of stress
• to return to the home of personal stress management