Posted on December 24, 2024

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By Paula Derrow

Stress is a normal part of life. It’s even beneficial in the short-term, helping you avoid an oncoming car or flee a burning building. But when it gets out of control and becomes long-term, stress can cause (or worsen) health issues such as chronic inflammation, lowered immunity, digestive problems, and autoimmune disorders.

Many everyday occurrences can cause stress, and some may be more of a trigger for you than others.

What specifically causes or triggers stress can, of course, be different for everyone, says Alka Gupta, MD, the chief medical officer and the cofounder of Bluerock Care, a primary care facility for seniors in Washington, DC. “It’s really less about the so-called stressful event itself and more about your response, which arises from how you’re wired, what you’ve experienced in the past, and the strategies you’ve cultivated to cope with stressful situations,” she explains.

Still, certain causes of stress tend to be common for many people.

What Causes Stress?

On the broadest level, stress arises when events leave us feeling overwhelmed and out of control.

“Stress can come from any number of sources, whether it's trauma, difficult family relationships, health issues, or the dialogue in your own head,” says Michelle Dossett, MD, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a staff physician at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “Even what we think of as a happy event, like throwing a party, can be stressful.”

Feeling overwhelmed, challenged, or out of control sets off an internal process to help you confront the stressful situation. This process, known as the stress response, creates physiological changes: Your brain releases stress hormones, which make your heart pound, breathing quicken, and muscles tense.

Here are the most common causes of stress.

Money

Money is a constant worry for many people. Take the American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2023 Stress in America survey, which found that all age groups reported money and the economy as significant stressors.

Moreover, people are more stressed about money and the economy than they were in 2019, the APA adds.

“Money is tied to basic survival needs like food, shelter, and healthcare. Loss of income can mean big changes to your lifestyle and quality of life, such as needing to move or losing your health insurance,” says Seth J. Gillihan, PhD, a licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania and medical reviewer for Everyday Health.

Dr. Gillihan notes that finances can also stress us out because society equates wealth with self-worth and even morality, such as “assuming those who are less well-off must be ‘lazy’ or ‘undisciplined.’” We become stressed trying to make and hold onto money because we worry what others might think of us if our finances fall apart.

Work

U.S. workers are among the world’s most stressed employees, with 57 percent reporting stress daily — an eight-point bump from the previous year.Work is also a perennial source of agitation. According to Gallup’s 2023 State of the Global Workplace report, employee engagement reached a record high of 23 percent in 2022. But workplace stress was also at a record high (44 percent).

“With everyone connected to their digital devices, people are spending longer hours at work, even when they’re home — it’s harder to disconnect,” says Dr. Gupta. “That means we’re spending less time with family and friends, which makes things more stressful.”

Parenting

The responsibilities that accompany raising kids can bring a roller coaster of emotions, including stress.

“The daily demands of parenting add to the list of what you’re expected to do, regardless of what’s going on with your job, your health, how much sleep you got last night, or other commitments,” Gillihan says.

In addition, parents face the difficult combination of high responsibility and low control. “You want the best for your kids in every way, and society largely blames parents for how kids turn out, and yet you have limited power to direct your children’s choices and the course of their life,” Gillihan explains. Many parents aim for perfection, only to inevitably fall short.

Politics

Politics and stress often go hand in hand. Research based on a survey of more than 1,000 Americans conducted after the 2016 U.S. presidential election reveals that exposure to the daily political news cycle can cause chronic stress.

“Our politics have gotten so tense and heated, and that conflict makes politics a really difficult space for a lot of us,” Gillihan says. People worry about losing legal rights and protections, the fairness of elections, and what the other side will do if they win.

“Add the major conflicts around the world like in Ukraine and Gaza, and the role of politics in how our leaders respond to those conflicts, and it’s easy to see how political issues tap into deep fears around safety and security,” Gillihan says.

Health Issues

Getting — and, later, managing — a medical diagnosis such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer can have a significant impact on your daily stress levels.

“Your health is foundational for so many of the most important parts of your life — your ability to work, do activities you enjoy, spend time with other people, and take care of your loved ones,” Gillihan says.

When you don’t feel well, it can create a cascade of other stressors, including loss of income, expensive medical bills, missing out on opportunities, relationship conflict, and worry over whether you’ll recover, he adds.

Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and bipolar disorder are also often a major source of stress. Not only can they make stress harder to cope with, but they can add stress to your daily life.

“[Mental health conditions] often lead to a lot of impairment, meaning it’s hard to take care of important things in your life such as being present at work or cooking meals for your family,” Gillihan explains.

He notes that mental health conditions can also strain relationships. There may be conflict over not feeling supported or understood, disagreements about the best way to treat the condition, or if treatment is even necessary. This often adds an extra layer of stress.

Major Life Changes

Significant life events — whether positive or negative — can cause stress. Divorce, marriage, the birth of a child, moving to a new home, the death of a loved one, and losing or gaining a job can impact your well-being.

Some life events can be more stressful than others. According to research, events that require more adaptation or change to your daily life, may be harmful or threatening, interrupt your life goals, and demand more resources than you have tend to cause the most stress.

For example, while marriage and the birth of a child are often happy moments, both come with added responsibilities and disruptions to your typical routine. You may feel stressed trying to adapt to your “new normal.”

Learn How to Identify Your Stress Triggers

Stress is so commonplace, it’s common to feel stressed and not know exactly why. “I see that all the time,” says Gupta.

“I think many of us don't make the connections between situations and our stress response,” Gillihan adds. You may sense that work, money, or health issues are causing stress, but can’t pinpoint why.

For example, perhaps you tend to commit to too many work projects with deadlines far off in the future, only to wonder how you ended up with too much on your plate once the deadlines start piling up.

Learning how to recognize personal patterns that trigger your stress is a crucial first step toward minimizing or managing stress. In the above example, you might recognize that you tend to overestimate how much free time you’ll have weeks from now, and that this triggers your stress response, Gillihan says. This way, you can be more careful about which projects you say “yes” to.

To determine your stress triggers, begin by noticing how your body reacts to different situations and watch for patterns (or write them down).

It’s also helpful to look for thinking patterns that turn up your stress levels. “Sometimes, it’s not the situation or the person, but your beliefs that are driving the stress,” Gillihan notes.

For example, let’s say you’re running late and you tell yourself, “It will be terrible if I’m late.” In this instance, it’s not necessarily the tardiness that’s turning on your stress response — it’s your mind’s story about being late. “Once you know what stressful stories your mind is telling, you can start to question whether they’re really true,” Gillihan says.

What to Do if You’re Struggling With Stress

No one can avoid stress in their life full stop. Simple techniques, like deep breathing, time outdoors, and meditation, are all tools that can help you face the stressors that show up.

But if the stress you’re facing is challenging and feels overwhelming, there are a lot of steps you can take to better cope with it, too.

Gupta recommends talking things out with your doctor, a therapist or counselor, or someone who knows you well. “Often, it’s possible for me to get to the heart of a patient’s stress just by listening and continuing to dig deeper.” Other times, some type of therapy can do the trick. Whatever route you choose, “the key is to adopt an openness and willingness to explore,” says Gupta.

Moreover, a therapist can help you figure out healthy ways to cope with stress, as it’s probably easier and more effective to learn techniques for managing stress than it is to try to control the causes. “It’s tempting to try to avoid whatever stresses you out,” says Gupta. “But it’s more beneficial to learn coping skills and tools for managing stress, like problem-solving, time management, and mindfulness.”