I hate stress, but I seem to thrive on it because I can’t seem to stop. Even when I recognise that I’m stressed, I still end up taking things on or continuing to do things that stress me out. There are of course common stressors like school or work or sitting in traffic.
There are also a bunch of surprising things that can stress you out. I know I get stressed during storms because they increase my anxiety. I also get stressed when I need to meet crazy targets. Life is stressful, there’s no way around that. But learning what stresses us out and how to avoid things that do can really help!
Change
Any change, no matter how big or small can stress you out. Even if it’s a change you’re excited about! Do your best during periods of transition to keep other stressors at a minimum.
Relationships
Even healthy relationships can cause you to feel stressed. Making time for another person, listening to their problems and worrying about them are all things that can make you feel stressed. Of course, relationships can reduce stress too. Think about if your relationship is making you more stressed out. If it is, try to figure out how to make your relationship a stress reducer instead.
Social Media
People who use social media are more likely to be stressed than those who don’t. It makes sense when you think about it. You’re being bombarded with things from other people’s lives. The majority of the tweets and facebook posts I see are complaints. That’s stressful.
Texting
Are you constantly attached to your phone? Yeah, I know the feeling. Texting is driving us nuts, and we don’t even realise it. If you’ve ever had the urge to throw your phone out the window when you get a bunch of texts, it’s probably because constant communication is stressing you out.
Constantly Being In A Rush
This might not necessarily be surprising, but it’s probably something that you don’t think about. If you’re someone who’s always on the go, like you’re rushed getting ready in the morning and grab breakfast on the way out the door, it’s stressing you out. Being chronically late or always being in a rush is an extra stress that you can avoid by waking up five minutes earlier or just slowing things down.
Lack Of Sleep
Not getting enough sleep will definitely stress you out. And being stressed out will affect your sleeping habits. This is a dangerous cycle that can be really hard to break.
Not Drinking Enough Water
We all know that water is good for us, and we should be drinking plenty of water a day. But did you know that not drinking water can make you more stressed? I didn’t either, which is why I promptly drank two glasses while typing this.
