Causes of Stress | Push Doctor

Medically reviewed by:

Dr Dan Bunstone - Medical Officer

Updated: Aug 18, 2021

Next review: Aug 18, 2022

Stress is a normal part of life, and it can sometimes be a good thing - whether it motivates you to get that promotion at work, or pushes you through to the end of an important project. However, too much stress isn’t good for you. Long-term, it can impact your mental health and body.

People feel stressed for a variety of reasons. It can be one big problem that you’re facing, or lots of little events piling up on top of each other. If this is the case, it might mean it’s harder for you to identify what’s causing your stress.

Stress is normally triggered by events happening in your life, including:

Being under pressure
Overwhelming responsibilities
Facing big changes
Worrying about something
Having responsibilities that you’re finding overwhelming
Feeling like you don’t have control over your life

If you’re feeling stressed, it’s really important to identify the source of the problem, as avoiding it will make things worse in the long term. For example, problems at work, at home or with money will eventually need dealing with, even though your body’s natural ‘fight or flight’ response might tell you to run from your stressful situation right now.

You don’t have to deal with it on your own. Our doctors are here to help. Once they understand what triggers your stress, they will be able to offer you practical advice and suggest effective treatment and stress management techniques.

Things that are going on in your life can cause stress, such as:

Illness, short or long-term
Injury
Pregnancy or becoming a parent
Bereavement

As much as families can be greats, they can sometimes be a cause of stress. Reasons for this include:

Being in charge of an important family event
Arguments
Divorce
Caring for a family member

Even happy events such as getting married can cause stress. Some people find the pressure of these occasions difficult to deal with.

Your living situation can contribute to stress. This exact cause may differ depending on whether you rent or own your home. Stress can be triggered by:

The possibility of eviction
Moving home
Noisy or unpleasant neighbours
Issues with your landlord
Things not working - e.g. plumbing, heating, appliances
The cost of your rent or mortgage

We spend a lot of our lives at work, so it can be tough when it becomes the cause of your stress. There are many ways that work could affect your mental health, such as:

Long hours
Low pay
Deadlines
Starting a new job
Late payment of wages
Bullying or harassment
The threat of losing your job
Redundancy
Long-term unemployment
Retirement

Generally, you can break these concerns down into one of five subcategories:

Too much pressure
Lack of control
Lack of support
Relationships with your colleagues
Understanding of your role
Changes within your organisation

If you want to relieve stress at work, it’s worth thinking about how all of these subcategories are linked. For example, a lack of control can lead to too much pressure. More control would give you the power to share or manage your workload and reduce this pressure.

Specifically, not having enough money is a worry all of us can identify with. This can create stressful situations such as:

Being in debt
Not having enough money to pay bills
Not having enough money to go out and enjoy yourself, or go on holiday

The stress from traumatic events can stay with you long after the situation has passed. For example, if you were the victim of a crime, it can make everyday situations such as being at home alone more stressful than they were before the incident.

Something that causes one person a lot of stress might not be an issue for someone else.

For example, if you’ve got to give a presentation at work but aren’t confident speaking in front of a crowd, this could stress you out. Whereas if you’re confident in public speaking, you might actually be looking forward to it.

How you perceive the situation has a big impact on how you deal with it. If you have low-self esteem, negative past experiences or how you look at things can all impact on how you deal with stress. Your emotional resilience and how good you are under pressure can also impact it.

Yes they can. We mentioned pregnancy and marriage earlier- both of which can put a lot of pressure on you. They can mean big changes, big expenses and new demands, all of which can contribute towards stress.

Stress Causes

Dr Dan Bunstone - Medical Officer

What causes stress?

What kind of situations can cause stress?

Personal issues

Family issues

Problems at home

Problems at work

Money worries

Post-traumatic stress

People deal with stress in their own ways

Can happy events cause stress?

Articles on Stress