Modern life has created many reasons for stress we've not genetically evolved to deal with yet, as the world around is changing a lot faster than we can adapt. Feelings of anxiety can arise due to a whole myriad of reasons, and can often have long-lasting effects on our health and behavior. We will discuss some of these reasons below:
• Feelings of unhappiness, inadequacy at work, school or college. Environments that directly deal with or are related to an individual's income source can be a considerable stressor in their lives. One feels like they need to over-perform, is often faced with demanding deadlines, and is constantly comparing themselves to those around. Also, a stressful work environment can lead to loss of sleep, which can be a reason for further feelings of stress.
• Lack of control in one's life. It is harder to stay relaxed if one feels like they lack direction or control over aspects of their lives, like their career, relationships, and health. Poor management and unclear expectations about one's life can lead to a lot of feelings of stress.
• Insecurity can be a major stressor as well. Feelings of incompetency and inadequacy can be very deep-rooted from childhood, making it difficult for an individual to find value from their work. Insecurity can often lead to constant mental competitions with those around you, detrimentally effecting your and the team's work.
• Loss of a loved one can lead to long periods of stress and confusion in one's life. Even though we're aware of what death is, very few are equipped to handle it during the loss of someone we know. Reminders of death can cause feelings of existential dread, which is a known stressor, something that philosophers have been wrestling with for millennia.
• Any other sort of significant changes in life: loss of a job, changing jobs, getting married, having kids, relocating, all of these activities are associated with changes in one's life and routine. We're not accustomed to changes in our lives, and thus, during periods of change, we're bound to feel a little stressed out.
Stress is a very normal reaction to the stimuli around us. It provides us with an awareness of the work at hand and helps us prepare for it. We need to learn to process our stress in a healthy manner that creates an opportunity for growth.
