FREE online courses on Stress-Can You Fight It - Know me and my reasons to be - Where Do I come from?

 

I come into existence due to your unavoidable surroundings or from your inner struggles. Let me make it clear, there is no escape for you, from me. You can get a short-lived satisfaction as in the old ‘ostrich's head in the sand' policy'.

 Here are the factors responsible for me. Remember, each of them reduces your enjoyment of life.

1.                  Emotional Disturbances

Emotions lead to all the pleasures and sufferings of life. They can make you feel both on top of the world or completely shattered. Emotional disturbances include the fears and anxieties with which you struggle: Can we prevent a nuclear war? What if I lose my job? What about the unpaid bills? Or what if the government changes? These factors can lead to poor performance or even failure.

 

2.                  Family Responsibilities

I make an entry into your homes as the doors open to clashes either of temperament or of interests. My stay in your home gets comfortable when you've too many household duties and too little time in which to do them. Divorce, demands with birth of a child or death in the family all help in my survival.

3.                  Social Need

Here I come into being with situations like, getting your work done, asking for an appointment, pressure of public speaking or sudden outburst of anger. Attending parties can be enjoyable for one person, but stressful for another who prefers a quiet evening at home. What brings relief to one person from me can be the cause of my entry into another's life. Verily, ‘one man's meat is another man's poison''.

4.                  Fear of Change

Change, whether for good or for bad, can be equally disturbing. You could experience me when you leave a job, a house, a relationship or a city. You experience the change of uprooting and reach your limits of absorbing change. Your struggle to adapt helps me to enter your life.

5.                  Chemical Reactions

Chemical stressors include any drug, such as alcohol, food sweeteners, caffeine, nicotine etc. Smokes silently contribute to make my harmful presence in parties or offices. Look around; you can see me even at party time.

6.                  Work Pressures

I make my entry when you've to meet impossible deadlines, ask your boss for a raise, work late hours, explain an embarrassing mistake or get your leave sanctioned. Workingwomen have both household commitments as well as job responsibilities.

7.                  Rational Decisions

It has become difficult to make decisions both on and off the job. My presence in vocational decision is reflected in the occupational alternatives available to you. Too much responsibility and with too little authority, or an unfamiliar environment, will invoke me.

Phobias

There are people with exaggerated fears of certain animals, places, objects or situations. Such fears I address as phobias. For example, a person who was once bitten by a mad dog experienced me for years whenever he came across any dog. You may need professional help to rid yourself of such phobias.

8.                  Physical work load

Physical demands include long working hours, lack of adequate sleep, an injury or poor diet. Your body feels my presence not only during work but also immediately after a busy period of time when a person retires from his hectic job. Keep working, I'll be following you.

9.                  Disease and Pain

Diseases such as chronic headaches, high blood pressure, arthritis, asthma, ulcers or diabetes may not be due to me but they get aggravated if you're in my company. Stress from chronic pain may lead to still more stress through isolation and in activity leading to depression. So, I guess I've many good friends in your body.

10.              Environmental Situations

Last but not the least I am unavoidable with noisy typewriters, cramped offices, smoke-filled rooms, choking fumes, burning summer heat or even loud noises.

So I'm very much a part and parcel of your life. You can find me all around yourself. Isn't it?