Causes of Stress
Posted: November 15th, 2009 | Category: News and SocietyThis article looks into the causes of stress and gives free tips to help you control and reduce your worries. I have, as I am sure many people do, stressed for most of my life for many different reasons. Even though I still worry about many things, I have now learned how to handle many of these situations and will write about how I go about doing this, in this article.
I do not work within the stress management industry and am in fact a web promotion expert from the UK. I also work on other projects to do with offering stuttering advice and for cost reduction specialists who offer cheap calls.
I am the kind of person who likes to have a simple and settled life. I would normally start to become a bit stressed when something big is about to happen such as a wedding. I am also somebody that is rather adverse to change; I like the way things are currently so why do we need to change them? This might seem a little crazy to you but I am just trying to tell you the way it is. I am not the kind of person who likes change, therefore things like moving house is something which will cause me a lot of stress. I have actually moved house four times in the last six years, not very clever for someone like me. I am now happy where I live and plan to stay at this abode for a long time.
I am also self-employed. There are many things I love about being self-employed, the fact that I am my own boss, I can choose my own hours, I have no-one to answer or to report to and the all round freedom it gives me. I often stress however that business will go through a bad period and that I do not have the security of a regular income. How will I pay the mortgage? How will I pay my car loan? How will I feed and clothe my children? These are all the things that at times can keep me awake at night.
I now have started to build up a back-up fund in a bank account. When business is doing well, I put as much money as I can into this account, which I can then use in the leaner times. This gives me a peace of mind and therefore I do not have to worry so much. Business will go through good and bad periods and this way I can easily cope when it does go slow.
I used to also worry about how I would pay my tax bill at the end of the year, however I have also started to put money away each month similar to the above example, to pay for it.
I now try and think about all of my worries in a logical manner and instead of losing sleep over them I try to find solutions.
I also feel stressed and I am not sure why it is, the day after I have a night out drinking alcohol. In the morning and nowadays since I am getting older, throughout the day, I often feel lethargic and my mind starts to play tricks on me. It makes me feel negative about the future and makes me worry about a whole host of issues. It now takes me around forty-eight hours to recover from a boozy night out and affects my family and work life. I have now decided that I will go out far less and that when I do, I will limit the amount I drink.
These are other things that can cause me to stress:
When I have basically been working too hard!
When I have had a lack of sleep
During and after an illness
After an argument with my girlfriend
When I am invited to a social occasion which I do not want to go to, such as a wedding
A visit from my girlfriends family for say a weekend
Going on holiday
I am aware that this may seem a little crazy to some of the people that read this article but this is the way life used to be for me. Yes going on holiday does cause me to worry. I do not like flying for a start, I worry that I or a member of my family may become ill or that the hotel may not be as good as what was described in the brochure.
One thing which I am now careful to ensure of, is that I get enough sleep. I must say I love going to bed and I love sleeping. My bed is where I feel safe and comfortable. I used to fall into a trap of working too hard and would then stay up late, possibly watching the television. I would set my alarm to wake me up early and I would then start the whole process over again.
From reading a book about stress management, I discovered that sleep was one of the best forms of stress-relief. I decided to give it a go and I must say it works. I now stay in bed an hour later in the mornings and where possible, I am in bed by 10pm at night.
I am also now attempting to take life in my stride. What happens will happen and I will deal with each challenge on its own merit. I try to deal with potential problems in a positive way and realise that if life was very smooth and easy, that it would probably be quite boring.
I am now far more appreciative of the life that I have; I am more than aware of the fact that I am one of the lucky ones. I will be successful and I will make the most of the opportunities that life brings; it is all about having a positive outlook on life. I know that at times life will be hard and am determined to get through these periods as quick as I can.
Nowadays when I do feel down and miserable, I tend to spend as much time as possible with my children, as they make me happy and can soon put a smile back onto my face.