Decoding Stress: Understanding the Causes of Stress

We've all been there—the tightness in your chest, the pounding heart, the shallow breaths. Couple this with the feelings of overwhelm, racing thoughts, and being on the brink of burnout.

Stress is an unwelcome companion that visits us at various stages of our lives. Often when we least expect it. Whether it’s a sudden work crisis, ongoing financial troubles, or the day-to-day juggling act of modern life, stress can sneak up on us from many angles.

But what if we could better understand where our stress is coming from and, more importantly, how to manage it?

Let’s take a closer look at the most common causes of stress. By understanding the root of our stress, we can find more effective ways to cope and regain a sense of balance, whether that’s through better stress management, or by working with a professional psychologist.

Where Does Stress Come From?

As we mentioned in one of our previous articles, stress is how our brains and bodies respond to difficult situations. That's why the number one cause of stress is our brain and how it perceives the things that happen to us.

Actually, our brains aren't as evolved as we want them to be. It still has a lot of primitive traits and is wired for survival, even as we and the world around us evolved over time. It’s still primarily wired for survival, designed to detect and respond to threats to keep us safe. In the past, these threats were often physical dangers, like predators. Today, however, our brains respond to modern stressors—such as work deadlines or financial problems—in much the same way, triggering physiological and psychological stress responses as if these were life-threatening situations. Being exposed to constant and chronic stress is not natural to our brains and bodies. These events are what creates disruptions in our well-being. 

That’s why it’s essential for our health and wellbeing to be aware of the triggers for stress that we face every day of your life and how to deal with them. Understanding this can help us better manage stress and protect our well-being.

At MeHelp, we understand how stress sneaks into our lives, and becomes part of the fabric of our everyday lives. So much so that sometimes it seems almost like being stressed is the natural way to be- but it is not, there is a better way to live. That’s why we want to show you the factors that contribute to stress.

External Factors of Stress

For most of us, external pressures are the most recognisable sources of stress. So here are the most common stressors we face.

Major Life Changes

Significant life events such as relocating to a new city, changing jobs, getting married, the birth of a child, or the loss of a loved one can profoundly disrupt your usual routine. Hence, it requires substantial emotional adjustment for us. This massive change often results in heightened stress levels. That's because our brains don't like change. Our brains resist change because they associate it with a loss of safety, triggering feelings of threat. This resistance leads to stress.

Some examples of major life changes include:

• Relocation: Moving to a new city means adapting to a new environment, finding new social connections, and adjusting to a different lifestyle. This can be particularly stressful if the move is due to a negative event, such as a job loss or divorce.
• Marriage: While often a joyous occasion, marriage can also bring stress due to the merging of lives, finances, and families. Moreover, it comes with a massive change in daily routines especially if it's your first time living together.
• Loss of a Loved One: Grieving the death of a loved one is one of the most intense sources of stress. It can affect all areas of life, including sleep, appetite, and overall mental health.

Work-Related Pressures

Every job has its own set of stressors. While some may be more manageable, others can be too much, and could trigger chronic stress. This includes long working hours, excessive workload, job insecurity, and interpersonal conflicts with colleagues or supervisors. Additionally, a lack of autonomy or poor work-life balance can make work-related stress worse. 

Some examples of examples of work-related stress:

• Long Working Hours: Consistently working overtime can lead to burnout, reducing your ability to perform effectively and enjoy personal time.
• Taking Up Too Many Responsibilities. Many people are afraid to say "no", especially in work settings. This results in taking in more work than they can handle. Being overloaded creates a lot of stress, especially when deadlines are simultaneous.  
• Interpersonal Conflicts: Conflicts with colleagues or supervisors can create a toxic work environment, making it difficult to focus and perform well. That’s because interpersonal conflicts threaten our sense of belonging to the company. When this happens, we tend to feel like an outcast, which makes our brains struggle with stress even more. 

Aside from these major work-related stressors, it’s also important to know that daily stressors like tight deadlines, long commutes, and other day-to-day challenges can be a source of chronic stress. That’s because when these events happen on a regular basis, your brain doesn’t have time to take a break from the stress response. This results in chronic or acute episodic stress conditions which are harmful to your wellbeing. 

Being constantly and extremely stressed at work affects your abilities to perform well. It lowers your productivity and efficiency. This dip in performance might actually open up a whole set of stressors both internally and externally. Which is why it’s important to be proactive in managing your stress level. This makes working with trained psychologists helpful, because we can provide you with the right coping tools for your stressors. 

Relationship Difficulties

Issues in personal relationships, whether with family, friends, or partners, can be significant sources of stress. Major challenges like marital issues, family conflicts, and strained relationships could trigger chronic stress. 

But it’s important to know that short-term and smaller issues like simple misunderstandings, disagreements, and fights can also become a major stressor if it’s not resolved. That’s because these issues tend to pile up and build up into bigger issues which leads to resentment. 

Some examples of relationship stress:

• Major Life Transitions: Life-changing events like divorce/separation, loss of a loved one, and even starting a new relationship can cause stress. That’s because of all the emotions and changes that come with these events. 
• Misunderstandings: Frequent arguments over everyday issues can build up stress over time. This is especially true when it's the same issue over and over again.
• Resentment: Resentment often starts with unresolved disagreements or misunderstandings in a relationship. When these issues aren't addressed, they can fester and grow over time, leading to long-term resentment. This lingering resentment can become a source of persistent stress, impacting all interactions and eventually becoming detrimental to the well-being of both individuals involved.
• Family Conflicts: Disagreements with family members, particularly around sensitive topics, can lead to ongoing stress and anxiety.

Financial Problems

Financial troubles are the number one source of stress for Australians. That’s because money is one of the most important things for our survival nowadays. This makes personal financial instability like debt, insufficient income, or ongoing financial obligations, lead to persistent worry and stress.

Some examples of financial stress:

• Debt: Managing large amounts of debt can feel overwhelming and impossible to overcome, leading to constant stress. This stress often stems from feelings of embarrassment and shame, in addition to concerns about financial survival.
• Insufficient Income: Struggling to make ends meet each month can create a baseline level of stress that never fully goes away. Insufficient income is closely tied to our everyday survival, meaning that it is always present, adding to the ongoing pressure.
• Unexpected Expenses: Unplanned expenses, such as medical bills or car repairs, can disrupt financial stability and increase stress as they often require immediate and unplanned financial resources..

Environmental Factors

Conditions such as living in a chaotic or unsafe area, pollution, or noise can significantly contribute to your stress levels. Moreover, things happening around the world, such as political instability or natural disasters, can also heighten your stress.

Examples:

• Noise Pollution: Living near a busy road or in a noisy neighbourhood can disrupt sleep and create ongoing stress. Moreover, our brains associate loud noises with predators, which is why we often jump at loud sounds.
• Unsafe Area: Constantly worrying about personal safety can create a pervasive sense of anxiety.
• Global Events: Continuous exposure to news about global crises can increase stress and a sense of helplessness. That's because we tend to be anxious about these things affecting us directly. 

Navigating external challenges in our lives can be quite difficult. Especially if we don’t have a strong support system around us. That’s why if you feel like you need someone to talk to, and help you navigate your stressors, our team at MeHelp would be happy to hear you out and help with you. 

Internal Factors

As we mentioned earlier, stress is actually an internal response. It's a result of how our brains are hardwired to perceive particular situations. This is where personal attitudes and perceptions play a crucial role in how stress affects you.

Mindset

Our mindset plays a crucial role in how we perceive and respond to the world around us. People who often focus on negative aspects of situations may find it more challenging to see the positives. This tendency can lead to higher stress levels as their brains perceive more situations as threats.

Examples:

• Pessimism: Always expecting the worst in every situation can create a constant state of stress and anxiety. This mindset makes it difficult to relax and enjoy positive moments because there is always an underlying worry about what could go wrong next.
• Catastrophising: Blowing minor issues out of proportion can make everyday challenges feel insurmountable. For example, a small mistake at work might be perceived as a career-ending disaster, causing unnecessary stress and anxiety.

Self-Esteem Issues

Sometimes, life has a knack of throwing one challenge after another, and it feels endless. When this happens, you tend to get overwhelmed and your self-esteem crashes. This can increase your vulnerability to stress, as you may feel less equipped to handle challenges. When you doubt your abilities, even simple tasks can become overwhelming and stressful.

Examples:

• Lack of Confidence: Doubting your abilities can make even routine tasks feel daunting. This can lead to avoiding challenges and missing opportunities for growth, perpetuating a cycle of low self-esteem and high stress.
• Fear of Failure: A strong fear of failure can lead to chronic stress, as you constantly worry about not meeting expectations. This fear can paralyse you, preventing you from taking risks or trying new things, and creating a persistent state of anxiety.

Unrealistic Expectations

When goals are set too high or undue pressure is placed on you, it can lead to significant stress when these expectations aren’t met. These unrealistic expectations can stem from your own ambitions or be imposed by those around you like parents, bosses, or spouses. These expectations inevitably set the stage for frustration and a sense of failure – making you feel more stressed. 

Examples:

• Perfectionism: Striving for perfection in every aspect of life can create constant stress, as perfection is often unattainable. Perfectionists may spend excessive time on tasks, fearing any mistake will lead to failure, which can lead to burnout.
• Overcommitment: Taking on more responsibilities than you can handle can lead to burnout and chronic stress. Overcommitting leaves little time for rest and self-care, making it difficult to manage the demands placed on you effectively.

How this affects us today

In modern life, the reptilian brain perceives non-physical threats—such as work deadlines, financial worries, or social conflicts—as dangerous. This is because the brain is designed to err on the side of caution. It prioritises our safety by reacting to anything it interprets as a potential threat–whether physical or not. 

This can lead to chronic stress, as our brains continuously trigger stress responses to these ongoing pressures.

Understanding how our brains perceive threats helps us recognize that not all stressors are actual threats to our survival. By acknowledging this, we can begin to manage stress more effectively through mindfulness and cognitive techniques that help reframe our perceptions of these stressors.

One of the ways to overcome stress is by addressing the internal responses we have. That’s because in most situations, it’s ourselves that we have the most control over. Not the situations, nor the people around us. If you want to strengthen your mind and build resilience to stress, our team at MeHelp would be glad to help you. 

Takeaway

Understanding the different causes of stress -- both internally & externally -- and recognising how they impact our lives is the first step in managing it effectively.

Stress is a normal part of life. So with the right strategies and support, we can navigate through it and maintain our well-being. Let's be kind to ourselves and remember that we're all in this together. If you ever feel overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Online counselling services like MeHelp can provide the professional guidance and support you need to manage your stress better. 

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