Common Sources of Stress

- Accidents

Accidents are common sources of stress... anyone who has been in a minor car accident can attest to this. Our bodies experience a stress reaction... our heart rate goes up and we feel the adrenaline surging through us.

There are a wide range of accidents... situations where they can occur, levels of severity, people who can be involved. These sources of stress have one thing in common: they evoke an acute stress response.

Click Here for more on Traumatic Stress


- Sudden illnesses

Diagnoses of serious illness are always acute sources of stress. Fears of death and dying, financial pressure involved with medical care, worry about loved ones, pain and the fear of pain are all contributors to the acute stress of sudden illness.

- Job losses

Sudden or unexpected job loss, or even the threat of a possible job loss, has brought acute stress to many people.

Besides the obvious loss of steady income, job loss brings up a whole set of stressors involved with finding a new job, lifestyle changes, altering comfortable routines, finding ones way in a new organizational culture... and on, and on.

- Economic Crisis

Sometimes economic crisis is a direct contributor to job loss, but it is one of the acute sources of stress for a variety of reasons. A comfortably retired couple may find their life savings threatened because of falling investment value... A small business owner may see a huge drop in sales as consumers reduce their spending.

Economic issues may be a chronic stressor for many, but when the issues reach crisis level, the impact is often acute and far-reaching.

- Relationship Crisis

Marriage is often the first thing that comes to mind with acute relationship-sources of stress. Around half of marriages fail at some point... commonly, one party in the relationship is very surprised and hurt.

Crisis is possible in any relationship where one or both parties have made a significant contribution of time, money and emotional energy.

- High Demands

Demands are shifting in the working world. Rather than long experience with one company, business leaders are looking for innovation and flexibility. This is extremely stressful to many older professionals and working people, who feel that their seniority is no longer valued or appreciated.

Young people entering the workforce also get pressure to perform, prove themselves and demonstrate their worth. While coaching can turn this stress into positive energy, it is overwhelming for many individuals who feel unsupported.

- Ethical Dilemmas

For a morally upstanding person who values his or her job, pressure to make unethical business decisions or transactions can be very stressful.

Even if a person has willingly acted unethically in the past, the continued stress of covering ones tracks and betraying ones conscience can build over time. Just working in a morally bankrupt environment can cause significant stress.

- Uncertain Employment

Of course, there is always some stress when our job or business is threatened. Whether this is a corporate memo warning of impending layoffs, or a string of customers backing out of their sales agreements, the implications reach into every area of our lives.

Some entrepreneurs enjoy life on the edge, and feed off of the stress caused by competition and uncertainty. For most of us, an unstable employment position is one of the major sources of stress.

- Role Ambiguities

Role ambiguity results when we do not know what the boss really expects of us. If our job description and evaluation criterion are unclear, it can make going to work very stressful.

As emphasis on flexibility, innovation and teamwork increases, people who are used to the very structured working environment of traditional organizations are under increasing pressure. Moody supervisors, corporate takeovers and a host of other factors make role ambiguity one of the increasingly common sources of stress in the workplace.

- Career Pace

Whether it is too fast or too slow, the pace of our career can be a significant stressor. When responsibilities and decisions pile up on us faster than we can cope, it can feel like the career train is careening out of control.

When we are sitting stagnant in a dead-end job that is not making use of our skills, strengths or challenging us enough, we can feel like the career train is broken down and going nowhere fast. In either case, we can feel overwhelmed by the present situation and unable to see our way to a solution.

- Physical Working Environment

Renovation/construction, lighting conditions, building design, noise, the outdoor elements, constant danger, hazardous materials and other physical contributors can add stress to the working person. Even hostile co-workers, abusive bosses, or depressing rows of drab cubicles can add to the stress.

There are many legal protections for the working person these days, but little below-the-radar annoyances can add up if our coping mechanisms are rusty or absent.

- Toxic Relationships

We touched on this in Chronic stress, but toxic relationships in the working world are so common that it is worth mentioning again. Some people just rub one another the wrong way or cannot see their way through a difference of opinions.

While a skilled conflict resolution coach could help significantly, we often feel trapped in the toxic relationship because our job demands that we work directly with or close to the problem-person.

New Book Offer!

Find out about James Klotzle's new book...

God In Our Stress: the Christian's Guide to Stress Management

- Social Pressure

Participating in extracurricular activities, clubs, the party life, etc. can all put a strain on time and emotional energy. Dating and relationship activities also require energy and contribute stress to school environments.

Pressure to participate in the activities above may create stress for the student who is just trying to survive in a new, hostile social environment. Going from a respected high-school star to a nobody in a large university setting can be stressful... Trying to find one's way socially after a miserable home life or high-school experience can also be quite daunting.

- Family Pressure

Family pressure to make certain grades, participate in certain social organizations and contribute emotionally or physically at home can add stress in many situations.

There are also two very opposite but significant types of family-related school stress... pro-school and anti-school. Some families view educated people with distrust, while others place high educational expectations on family members who might do better in the trades or arts.

- Academic Pressure

Even though schools seem to exist to create a certain level of academic pressure (how else would some people be motivated to learn!?) it is one of the common sources of stress.

By taking on too many classes or studying material outside of ones ability level, the natural, positive eustress (or useful-stress) of obtaining an education is easily overdone and damaging.

Reasonable self-expectations and good time management skills are important to coping with academic sources stress.

New Book Offer!

Find out about James Klotzle's new book...

God In Our Stress: the Christian's Guide to Stress Management

It's important to be able to identify Stress when it hits you. Un-resolved Stress in your life can lead to many negative physical, emotional and psychological consequences.
Click Here for a great review of the Symptoms of Stress!

Effective coping strategies are key to stress management...
Click Here for some quick tips on Coping with Stress!