Recognize stressors and manage stress better
what stresses one person may not matter a jot to someone else. We need to be aware of our stress factors to be able to avoid them.
People react differently to stress. Some people freeze or lose their temper at the slightest thing, others turn to chocolate, while others can’t eat anything. The reactions to stress vary greatly. And the causes are just as varied: for example, relationship problems, constant noise or an excessive workload. It’s generally the feeling of losing control that stresses people – the feeling that they can’t cope with a situation or can’t solve their problems. Stressors are situations or stimuli that lead to a physical stress reaction in a person.
External and internal stress factors
Whether or not we feel overwhelmed often depends on our personal attitude. If I don’t care what people think of me, I don’t worry about their negative comments. And if I’m not desperate to please, I’ll be OK with the fact that I may not get something done on time.
What are common internal stressors?
- Perfectionism: Always wanting to get the job done one hundred percent and immediately and not wanting to make any mistakes - such demands on oneself are too much and often trigger stress reactions.
- Not being able to say no: trying to please everyone can be stressful. If you can’t say no decisively, the work builds up even if you don’t have the time to do it. This means that stress is pre-programmed.
- Constant availability: Always looking at your phone and mailbox is one of the most frequent stress factors. The boundary between work and leisure is becoming increasingly blurred, with people consequently having less time to recover.
External factors can also cause stress:
- Noise, heat or cold: Constant noise, e.g. from a pneumatic drill on a construction site can make it hard to concentrate at work. Noise at home can be a problem, too.
- Lack of sleep: getting enough sleep is important for the body to recover. If you’re tired, your nerves are weaker and you get stressed more quickly. However, sleep disorders are often a result of stress. It’s a vicious circle.
- Time pressure: the feeling of never having enough time triggers a feeling of constant overload.
- Social stressors: Unresolved issues, separations, arguments, fear of loss or a feeling of lack of recognition can cause stress. But Leisure time stress can also become a real problem.
Recognize individual stressors at work and in private life
The first step to reducing stress is to recognise the individual stress factors and, if possible, avoid them. If this doesn’t work, the situation has to change. If the stress at work is permanently too high, for example, a job change can help. Otherwise, you run the risk of jeopardizing your own mental health and suffering from burnout. Another important step: Understand that negative patterns of thought and action are self-imposed, accept your own limitations and set priorities. After all, no one’s perfect. This helps to better manage stress and, in the long term, to build up a certain degree of resilience to potential stressors and find a healthy work-life balance.
