Why do certain things make me feel stressed?
How stressed you feel in different situations may depend on factors like:
- How comfortable you feel in certain types of situation
- What else you are going through at the time
- Your past experiences, and how these affect the way you feel about yourself
- The resources you have available to you, such as time and money
- The amount of support you have from other people
Some situations that don't bother you at all might cause someone else a lot of stress. This is because we are all influenced by different experiences. We also have different levels of support and ways of coping.
Certain events might also make you feel stressed sometimes, but not every time.
For example, if you go shopping for food with enough time and money, you may not feel stressed. But you might feel stressed if you have lots of other things to do, have a tight budget, or need to buy food for a big event.
“I get stressed when things get out of perspective – too much work, thinking too far ahead.”
What kind of situations can cause stress?
Many things can cause stress in different areas of our lives. These may include:
Personal
- Illness or injury
- Pregnancy and becoming a parent
- Infertility and problems having children
- Bereavement
- Experiencing abuse
- Experiencing crime and the justice system, such as being arrested, going to court or being a witness
- Organising a complicated event, like a holiday
- Everyday tasks, such as household chores or taking transport
Friends and family
- Getting married or civil partnered
- Going through a break-up or getting divorced
- Difficult relationships with parents, siblings, friends or children
- Being a carer