Why You Might Be Stressed Out: Common Stressors & What To Do

Chronic stress is just a natural part of life. We all have stress in our lives. Without stress, we wouldn’t be able to respond to danger. It affects our mental health if no remedies are put into place. If you have been dealing with long-term stress, it could lead to further health problems.

Knowing that stress is normal doesn’t always make it easier to deal with it. Understanding stress, the symptoms of too much stress in our lives, identifying our stressors, and relaxation techniques that can help will make stress less of a controlling part of your life.

If you feel stress regularly, it may be time to make some changes to your lifestyle. 

What Happens When We Encounter Stress?

When we encounter stress, whatever the stressor, our bodies go through a process known as a stress response. During a stress response, our bodies are flooded with hormones and chemicals to help our entire body prepare to fight the stressor or get away from the stressor. This process goes back to when our survival depended on how quickly we could respond to stress.

One of the main stress hormones that our bodies release during our stress response is cortisol. In fact, cortisol is known as the stress hormone. In times of stress, you can produce too much cortisol, and since cortisol can impact functions throughout your entire body, evidence of stress can be present throughout your body.

Symptoms of Stress

You’ve probably heard that too much stress is harmful to your health and your body. Here are some of the common signs that you’re under too much stress.

• Muscle tension
• Headaches
• Decline in mood
• High blood pressure
• Inability to manage emotions
• Feelings of restlessness
• Increased irritability
• Stomach issues
• Changes in appetite
• Racing thoughts

If you’ve noticed that you’re exhibiting signs of stress, you may wonder what’s the source of your stress. The things that cause stress are known as stressors. 

Common Stressors

Stress can come from any direction in life. Some common areas that cause stress are work, life, and your own emotional and mental state.

Some examples of common work stressors include:

• Being unhappy with your job
• A difficult boss
• A heavy workload
• Long hours or pressing deadlines
• Unclear expectations

Some examples of common life stressors include:

• Strained relationships
• Divorce
• Death of a loved one
• Birth
• Getting married
• Moving
• Trauma 
• Disasters

Some examples of common long-term stressors include:

• Poverty
• Abusive relationships
• Primary caregiver for an elderly or sick family member
• Chronic illness
• Injury
• Recurring emotional problems

Lastly, the stressors you feel may come from the inside. Some common stressors that come from within include:

• Fear
• Uncertainty
• Personal perceptions or attitudes
• Unrealistic expectations of yourself or others
• Reaction to change

Not all stressors are bad. There will be plenty of good things in life that can cause you to experience stress. Knowing how to calm yourself is key to dealing with whatever comes along in life.

Relaxation Techniques To Combat Stress

When you’ve been under stress, it’s important to have relaxation techniques on hand to combat the effects of stress on your life and your body. Here are some good relaxation techniques to help you calm down and recenter.

Yoga

Yoga is a great way to help calm your mind and your body. The practice of yoga has existed for centuries. The goal of yoga is to control and still the mind. When your thoughts are racing and your body feels out of control from the influence of stress, yoga can help bring calm to your entire self.

Keep A Journal

Journaling is great for stress management. Journaling can help you de-stress. Finding the best way to journal to reduce stress is up to you. There’s really no wrong way to journal. 

Journaling is a great way to work through what is stressing you out. You can reflect on the stressors in your life and how you feel about them. 

Meditation

Meditation can help you wrap the day up and wipe the slate clean of the stress you experienced. Spending just a few minutes meditating can work wonders for calming your mind and resetting your focus. 

Meditation certainly won’t make your stressors go away, but you may find that after a few quiet moments of meditation and deep breathing, you have a new perspective on what’s stressing you out. At the very least, it’s a nice way to take a break in your mind from everything else that’s going on in your life. 

Healthy Diet

A healthy diet can help us feel better physically, but it can also help us feel better mentally and emotionally. Most of the natural ingredients we consume, such as fruits and vegetables, have more benefits than just filling us up. There are plenty of healthy options that have also shown promise when it comes to stress relief. 

Here are a few healthy items you may want to consider adding to your diet when you’re feeling stressed out:

• High fiber foods like beans, berries, or broccoli
• Dark chocolate 
• Avocados
• Fish rich in omega-3s
• Nuts
• Citrus fruits and strawberries

When we’re stressed out, it can be easy to forget to take care of our bodies. Remembering to add healthy foods to your diet when you’re stressed will not only help reduce the stress you feel, but it is also a good way to give back to your body when you’ve been neglecting it.

Just don’t forget that hydration is an essential part of a healthy diet. If you’re not hydrated, your body can’t perform its functions as well, and when we’re in the middle of a stress response, our bodies are trying to stay at the ready. A little hydration can be a big help in supporting your body’s essential functions.

Take A Supplement

Taking a supplement like Complete Calm De-stress Gummies may naturally help you find an almost immediate calming sensation. It may seem like a little thing, but with consistent use, you can find support for a healthy, balanced mood.

In addition to the saffron extract, Complete Calm De-stress Gummies have a daytime terpene blend that can help relieve the effects of stress and help calm the mind as well. Like most relaxation techniques, taking a supplement is something you can easily do every day and on your own to help give yourself the support you need when you’re struggling with stressors in your life.

Summary

As you reflect on your own life, hopefully, it’s a bit easier to identify the common stressors that can trigger your stress response and leave you experiencing the negative effects of stress. Knowing what’s stressing you is only half the battle, though.

It’s important that you arm yourself with tools that you can easily use to deal with life when you’re feeling too stressed out. Choosing simple and easy techniques to do just about anywhere will mean that you are never in a position where you can’t do anything about what’s stressing you.

Sources:

Physiology, Cortisol | ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 

The Effect of Yoga on Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Women | ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 

Effects of Saffron Extract Supplementation on Mood, Well-Being, and Response to a Psychosocial Stressor in Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel Group, Clinical Trial | pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov