Environmental Causes of Stress

Stress affects everyone at any given time. Stress can become a serious ailment. Excessive amounts of stress can lead to physical ailments such as ulcers or mental impairment such as depression. To avoid developing such conditions it is important to effectively manage stress. Managing stress begins with defining the cause of your stress. Personal situations can cause stress, but the environment can also be a main cause of stress.

Weather

• Weather can be a source of stress. Excessive temperatures have adverse effects physically as well as mentally. Rapid changes in temperature, extreme temperatures, as well as certain seasons can trigger stress. Seasonal Affective Disorder is an example of weather related depression and stress. This disorder describes a sense of sadness and lethargy that can arise with the shorter days of fall and winter.

Lighting

• Lighting is another source of stress. Fluorescent lighting in particular can increase stress and lead to heart disease. Studies show that artificial light, such as fluorescent, may affect hormone levels, particularly that of cortisol that is directly related to stress. Too much or too little light can also affect stress levels.

Noise

• Excessive noise can cause stress as well. Stress is triggered by noises of over 85 decibels. Examples of such noise are motorcycles, lawn mowers, jet engines and loud music. Not only does noise pollution increase chronic stress, but it can also affect quantity and quality of sleep, which also can cause chronic stress.