Different Causes of Stress

Stress is a constant reality in most people's lives. Stress can come from your finances, from work, from health and even from the ones you love the most. Often, there is little that can be done to reduce or avoid stress. However, sometimes understanding the sources of stress in your life can allow you to recognize and accept them with the realization that no matter how bleak things may seem when you are in the midst of a negative event, this too will pass.

Finances

• Financial sources of stress can include the fear of pay cuts or job loss. Setting aside or trying to find adequate funds for the holiday season can also be a major source of stress. This type of stress can also bleed over into your relationship with your mate, as a lack of money can lead to disagreements over how to spend the money that you have. A 2008 report in Newsweek suggests that women feel financial stress more strongly than men. According to the publication, 84 percent of women--compared to 75 percent of men--stated in a survey that the economy caused them to worry.

Health

• While stress about one's own health is something that we all must deal with, that same type of stress can reach untold heights when caused by the poor health of a loved one. Worrying about the health of your mate, child or parents can be a constant drain on your energy and resources. A 2007 survey sponsored by USA TODAY, ABC News and Gallup found that 41 percent of the members of the Baby Boom generation with parents who are still alive support them in some way.

Relationships

• Personal relationships can be a significant source of stress. While the relationships between parents and children and husbands and wives are the most typical personal relationships, they can contribute to stress when strained; a disagreement with a co-worker can be equally stressful. Additionally, stress can result from relationships that have not yet begun. Using information from a 2010 study, Health.com reported that men who live in environments where it is more difficult to find a partner because of a lack of women live approximately three months less than men in environments with a greater number of women.

Addictions

• Addictions can form from substances such as drugs, alcohol and tobacco, along with activities such as gambling and sex. When an addiction takes over a person's life, it can begin to dictate his daily activities and strain his finances and relationships. The lack of control becomes an enormous stress factor.