• What major changes have occurred in my life recently? These include illness, moving, changing jobs, unemployment, beginning or ending a relationship and life cycle transitions (marriage, pregnancy and raising children, loss of a loved one).

  • Are there time pressures? Poor time management, in professional and personal lives, is a major cause of stress. Often, people sacrifice personal time to fulfill obligations to family and work. Sooner or later, the imbalance in our lives will catch up and cause feelings of pressure and stress. 

  • How intense is the stress? The frequency, intensity and duration of our stress may indicate its severity and cause. If stress levels skyrocket during work and drops when going home, the cause is obvious. If there is a nagging anxiety all the time, the stress may have a more subtle cause.

  • Is lifestyle affecting the ability to handle stress? Many people use alcohol or drugs to relieve stress, but they may in fact be a cause of stress. Lack of sleep is another cause of stress. Sleep helps our bodies to recover from the day’s events and challenges. Staying up late or frequent interruptions interferes with the ability to cope with stress. Lack of exercise may contribute to stress as well. Exercise has been shown to decrease the amount of stress hormones that are released in response to stress.

  • Are eating habits a factor in stress? A balanced diet high in vitamin C and low in caffeine and sugar can help reduce stress. Conversely, a poor diet and erratic eating schedule can put the body under physical stress, making it harder for someone to deal with stressful situations.

  • Is physical health a factor in stress? Pain and discomfort are both stressors. Illness and injury put the body under physical stress, which is a cause for emotional stress. Emotional stress, incidentally, is often perceived as a physical discomfort, such as stomach cramps.

  • How is stress being dealt with? The wrong coping mechanism may be ineffective or even contribute to stress. Negative coping methods to avoid include:

    • Criticizing one's self or blaming others
    • Yelling
    • Eating too much or too little
    • Smoking cigarettes
    • Abusing alcohol or drugs
    • Being isolated from friends and family
    • Acting aggressively or violently
    • Focusing on other people’s problems
    • Avoiding one's own problems