Causes of stress
The American Psychological Association (APA) says that the most common causes of stress (in the US) are finance, work, and family-related and that they affect more of the younger generations.
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Stress is a state of mental tension or emotional strain due to adverse or demanding circumstances, events, and situations.
Stress is hard to measure and someone may be suffering from it while showing no external signs.
There is a constant need to be hyper-connected in today's modern workplaces, leading to a constant feeling of anxiety.
Social media is bombarding everyone with unattainable, unrealistic goals. There are rising cases of high blood pressure, headaches, and insomnia, all related to stress. Constant stress can lead to heart disease, diabetes, mental disorders and depression.
A limited amount of stress can actually be beneficial. Situations and circumstances like a deadline, or a sports competition can boost the body in constructive and positive ways.
The body also recognizes 'good stress' which is positive in its workings on the body, during moderate challenges.
In less extreme situations, the body and brain produce adrenaline, and the heart provides more blood, the brain is sharper and the body releases stress hormones, which can be beneficial in coping up and handling those situations.
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Our mind may be the key tool in handling stress. And it needs rest to recover and handle the stressful situation in a better way.
- Meditation: Our mind is an emotional muscle, and meditation is the tool to make it rest and restore itself. Controlled breathing is one of the best ways one can improve concentration, vitality and boost one's immune system.
- Journal writing: whether it is a daily journal, or a mission statement or even a priority list, it can help us reflect on our situation, change our perception, and identify obstacles that may be hindering our goal.
Meditation improves your attention, focus, self-awareness, and lower your stress levels.
Meditating for even just a few minutes every day will help you to clear your head while activating the areas of your brain related to decision-making and emotions.
We don’t actually fool anyone when we're trying to look happy, but our real feelings are far from positive.
Our expressions expose us and are registered and mirrored by other people. So trying to suppress negative emotions actually increases stress levels of both people more than if we had shared our distress in the first place.