“I’m Stressed… Why?” Two Key Steps To Identifying What’s Really Causing Your Stress
Walking around today almost everywhere you turn you hear “Gosh, I’m so stressed!” According to the American Physiological Association, roughly 76% of American adults reported negative health effects due to stress in the last month. Out of the 76%, most experienced their stress as headaches, fatigue, and general anxiety. So, the stress is real. When it comes to figuring out how to tackle and cope with our stress, we need to first identify the reason behind it. Today, we’ll say goodbye to the “ugh, why am I so stressed!” feeling, and precisely target the causes that are causing you woe.
The Stress Struggle Can Be Particularly Frustrating
Types Of Stress
It’s undeniable that stress is everywhere. But, what happens when you feel that nagging stress, and yet there’s nothing to particularly pinpoint? This is when acute stress (in the moment stress) becomes chronic (stress built up over time). Let’s look at an example.
Work Stress: This is a stressor many individuals face, and there’s a multitude of reasons behind why work is causing stress.
Acute Stress: You’re an hour late on getting a deadline met when your boss is knocking on your door, asking for a new project to be completed STAT. This is stress that you feel in the moment, and goes away when the task is complete.
Chronic Stress: Most days at the office, doing your daily tasks, you feel a constant worry that you’re behind, underperforming, or missing important steps even though there’s no evidence supporting this feeling. You generally feel stressed and worried with work.
In this example, there is a stark contrast between the acute stress and the chronic stress. Frequently, acute stress is easier to identify than chronic. In the short term, acute stress can be beneficial; it motivates you to power through. Over time, chronic stress can negatively affect your health. If you feel run down, overwhelmed, or worried on a regular basis, you may have chronic stress. To learn more about acute vs chronic stress, and health impacts, read my previous post here.
Two Key Steps In Identifying Stress
Learning how to recognize sources of stress in your life is the first step in managing them. This becomes the What in terms of your stress levels.
Step 1: Identifying “What”
Filling a metaphorical stress bucket is an excellent activity in identifying stress. While we often may feel stressed, we don’t always know wha't’s causing it.
In order to complete the activity, grab a bowl, backwards cap, or jar. On pieces of paper, write down what you believe contributes to your stress. Examples include:
Once you’ve filled your bucket, you are able to visualize the areas that contribute to your stress. Sometimes, when we write it all down and lay it out to examine, we can paint a greater picture of our whole being. Additionally, certain stressors may stand out to you as contributing more trouble than others.
Now that you’ve clearly labeled your “What,” you’re ready for:
Step 2: The “How”
We all experience stress differently, and thus, it manifests differently for everyone. A top way to manage your stress, is realizing the various ways it affects your physical and emotional well-being. In order to step back and assess the different parts of you that your stress is impacting, we consider the physical, emotional, behavioral and psychological symptoms that may arise.
In order to complete the activity, use this checklist to determine how stress affects you:
Once you’ve identified the “what” of your stress, and how you experience it, you are in a position to set realistic, achievable goals in:
A) Honing in on 1 or 2 of the biggest contributors to your stress (the largest pieces of your bucket in Step 1)
B) Dealing with your responses (what you can do about your checked boxes in Step 2)
Not sure where to start or work towards these goals? Contact me to set up a time to talk more about your stress needs.
Remember: We all experience stress. And acute stress can be a good, positive motivator. But when your stress builds up and starts to affect you on a deeper level, there are steps you can take to get back to the healthiest, happiest version of you!