Top 5 Reasons Behind Stress

As we deliberated on my last entry stress can be caused by a variety of situations occurring at once, thus making oneself emotionally tense. here is a list of five reasons as to what may cause and/or lead to stress.

1.) Perfectionism

Being a perfectionist can be a very good quality under a lot of circumstances when it come down to different career fields. Although trying to be “perfect” is not something everyone strives to be, it can also lead to stress when one starts to over analyze simple tasks, making themselves more tense by thinking the situation is more difficult than it actually is.

2.) Procrastination

Waiting until the last minute to complete a task or finishing something of an importance which needs to be done can add stress because than the time that you originally had to complete such situation has now diminished. Thus putting stress on yourself to rush and get something done in a short amount of time especially when not fulfilling the task can affect some aspect of your life.

3.)Work Overload

Work overload can happen one of two ways.

a)Having one to many things given to you to do around the same time or b)Spreading yourself to thin by making too many plans obligating yourself to go do something.

Also the possibility of a combination of them both can increase your stress by having to decide which get done and which ones not, thinking of who you might disappoint in the process, and how not finishing can affect your circumstances.

4.) Relationships

The people you surround yourself with can help cause your stress by becoming a stress carrier. In the book “Changing Your Management Style” by Benfari the author wrote “ Stress carriers are people who, through their repeated behavior, cause distress in others. …. Nevertheless, they throw other people off balance and induce reactive behaviors.”

Benfari, R. C. (1995). Changing your management style: how to evaluate and improve your own performance. New York, Ny: Free Press.

5.) Life Stresses — unexpected changes which can affect ones emotional state

• The death of a loved one
• Divorce
• Loss of a job
• Debt
• Traumatic Event
• Moving to a new home
• Sudden illness/injury

All five of these factors can be reduced by changing the habits of which they are encountered. Stay tune to my next blog to hear about the variety of ways to diminish stress.