A life stressor is defined as “any experience or event which induces stress”. Stressors can be acute or chronic depending on how prolonged the duration is and how intense their effect is. Some of the major life stressors include bereavement, loss of a loved one, losing a job, divorce, financial loss, relationship conflicts, chronic/ terminal illness, birth of a child/ marriage.
Life stressors can also be categorized as daily life stressors and chronic stressors. Daily life stressors are unpredictable or sudden changes that disrupt the daily routine such as an accident, appliance malfunctions, sudden workload etc.On the other hand chronic stressors are the one which are present for a long period of time and persists such as a chronic illness, relationship conflicts, loss/ bereavement.
Life stressors are a part of human experience and it’s important to have healthy coping strategies to manage such challenges. Following are a few ways that can help take charge of the stressors in your life.
Identify your stressors
The first important step to take in order to find the solution is to be aware of the specific problem you are facing. Thus, it is important that you are aware of your stressors, especially day to day stressors. Stress is easily overwhelming and can have a toll on your mental health, so to avoid feeling overwhelmed it is imperative that you identify your stressors and acknowledge their presence in your life and how they are affecting you. Sit with yourself on a weekly basis and make a list of the things that have been causing you stress and their frequency of happening.It helps you direct your resources to fix and cope with the problem which requires the most immediate attention.
Develop a self-care routine
Once you have identified your stressors you can start making a plan of action for yourself. This must include a self-care routine with activities which help you in learning the healthy ways of coping with stress in life and help in building your stress tolerance. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with activities such as exercising or any physical activity (running, hiking , cycling ) , spending time in nature , developing healthy eating habits, taking up a hobby etc are significantly known to reduce stress and build resilience in individuals.
Build a support network
Having a support system in life is extremely important. One should cultivate a support network of good friends, family or join any supportive group if required who can offer practical & emotional support, guidance and empathy when required.
Practice mindfulness and stress management
Actively learn and practice mindfulness ,meditation techniques such as relaxation exercises, deep breathing, muscle relaxation and other stress management strategies to help lower the anxiety and stress levels and increase overall well-being. Studies show people who practice mindfulness daily are more resilient and have more tolerance towards stress.
Seek professional help
If life stressors are increasingly affecting your mental health and impacting your daily life functions, it is important to seek advice from a professional therapist. Therapy can help you learn the right tools to manage stress according to your needs.
References
Goldin, P. R., & Gross, J. J. (2010). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on emotion regulation in social anxiety disorder. Emotion (Washington, D.C.), 10(1), 83–91. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018441
Piazza, J. R., Charles, S. T., Sliwinski, M. J., Mogle, J., & Almeida, D. M. (2013). Affective reactivity to daily stressors and long-term risk of reporting a chronic physical health condition. Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 45(1), 110–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-012-9423-0
