Sources of stress and Microstessors
Source of stress and micro stressors
If we think about a bridge, its built to take a certain amount of stress, volume of traffic, wind conditions and weather etc. However, things can happen which make that bridge vulnerable e.g. if we think of bridges washed away during floods. It’s pretty much the same with ourselves, we are built to take a certain amount of stress. It is natural at times to feel the emotional or physical tension which can arise from events which leave us feeling angry, worried, overwhelmed. However, unlike the bridge we do have some agency over how we respond to stress.
Life can be demanding and challenging at times, how we react to these situations has a big impact on how we feel, there can even be times when a wee bit of stress actually helps us perform better. The challenge is when the stress goes on for a long time, or too many challenges and demands arise at the same time, just like the bridge which can be swept away in a storm we can feel overwhelmed and wonder if we can cope.
The last wee post shared explored how to recognise the signs of stress. This wee piece is offering some reminders of things which happen in life where feeling under stress is natural.
Change can be stressful, even change for the better can make us feel under stress e.g. when we are moving house. This piece may be of interest for anyone moving home https://www.copescotland.com/resources/steps-to-help-reduce-the-stress-of-moving-home
Loss can be stressful as we try to make sense of the new world and situation, we may find ourselves in. There are many ways we can experience loss e.g. the post we hold being made redundant https://www.copescotland.com/resources/managing-the-stress-of-redundancy
Caring for others can be stressful Finding ourselves in the role of unpaid carer can bring its own stressors https://www.copescotland.com/resources/carers-wellbeing-counts We can also experience compassion fatigue if we are in a paid or unpaid caring role which can increase our feelings of stress as we find ourselves exposed to the suffering of others and are trying to help. https://www.copescotland.com/resources/compassion-fatigue
Doom scrolling can be stressful We do live in uncertain times, and the news seems to focus only on what is wrong and what else can go wrong. When we lock into all the challenges facing the world and the possible impact that may have on us and those we care about, or, see the suffering of others and the planet, this too can add to our feelings of distress https://www.copescotland.com/resources/tips-to-avoid-doom-scrolling
Information overload can be stressful We live in an age where more information is available to us than ever before. We may find we have several social media accounts which we find ourselves constantly checking, emails, reports, network newsletter, policies, the list goes on. Finding a way to manage that in a way that does not overwhelm us can also help to reduce stress https://www.copescotland.com/resources/making-emails-work-for-you
Managing money can be stressful Worrying about bills, feeding the family, replacing items which have broken beyond repair, clothing children who are constantly growing, finding things to do which are free to help keep people amused during the holidays can all be stressful. This booklet does not replace professional advice but may offer some ideas which are helpful https://www.copescotland.com/resources/financial-wellbeing-in-times-of-challenge . We are updating this booklet and have some community learning exchanges planned, check out our events or email [email protected] for more info
Feeling dissatisfied with life can be stressful A challenge with the sheer volume of information we receive is that we can feel everyone has been invited to a party that we didn’t receive an invitation to. We sometimes can feel we are being shown how life should be and when our own life does not match up to that we can feel dissatisfied. Finding satisfaction and a sense of achievement in the simple things in life can help reduce the stress of dissatisfaction and increase the feelings of joy by experiencing a sense of satisfaction more often https://www.copescotland.com/resources/life-satisfaction
There are many more examples which I could share. This resource booklet which covers many life challenges and ideas for selfcare which may reduce their impact may be of interest https://www.copescotland.com/resources/surviving-the-sea-of-life-booklet
There are significant life stressors which in their own right can cause us stress, however, we may find that there is not one significant stress at the moment, but you feel stressed. When we add up a little bit of stress here and a little bit of stress there, we can find the impact on our wellbeing does become greater. Micro stressors can often go unnoticed and as a result make it harder to identify where the stress is coming from. This is why it’s important to recognise the signs of stress so that you can then take steps to try to manage it and become more mindful of where this may be coming from. Sometimes boredom and repeated actions can cause stress, I recall someone once saying they felt their life was like a video, play me, rewind me, play me again, as everything was so routine. Yes, there are routines in our life however, adding some variations to that routine can help us stop feeling we are on autopilot.
Learning to identify when we are feeling stressed and where this stress is coming from can help us plan to manage the stress. In the next session we will explore some ideas for managing stress
Thanks for reading. I hope these ideas and resources may be of value for you, your teams, and the people you are working with and supporting. Together we can help build a kinder world for everyone.
.Hilda