What Causes Stress?

Slowly, stress finds a way to fill in little spaces in our life without us even noticing.

nytimes.com

Slowly, stress finds a way to fill in little spaces in our life without us even noticing.

Emma Perron, Photojournalist

One of the most common feelings that humans share is stress. There are many different factors that can cause it, and many high schoolers have different stress triggers and coping mechanisms. 

Stress can be caused by being under pressure, life changes, sports, school, not being active enough, friendships/relationships, and “situations that we are not able to control of every aspect of our life which can be intimidating” Sarah Richey (10).   

Not all of those cause stress, and the stress people have can be small actions that add up over time. The body is reacting to all these emotions, and this is when stress comes into our lives. 

Symptoms of stress can be increased blood pressure, sweating, heartbeat speeding up, muscle tension, and lack of sleep. People cope in all different ways, and some ways the most people do is listen to music, talk with friends, and spend time by themselves. 

To some people, stress is a good thing because it helps people be more motivated and face challenges that help in the long run. Sports and work are great examples of how stress can be good in the end. In these two aspects of life, you can get new responsibilities or promotions that are more stressful, but after learning to deal with them, opportunities will soar. 

It is important to note that there are different types of stress. The first and most common type of stress is acute stress. This is a form that most people deal with. Generally, acute stress is short-term and does not stay long. According to Medical News Today, it develops with pressure from outside sources and thinking of future events. 

Once the upcoming event is done, the stress slowly disappears and does not come back until another small problem. Sarah Richey (10) explains how, “homework and procrastinating causes me stress, and I cope by telling myself once it is done I will feel better.”

The second type of stress is chronic, which is harmful to a good amount of people. This is caused by multiple things piling on top of each other. Significant factors are unhappy families, divorces, friends, relationships, and changes in routines. The amount of hormones in your body is more than usual, and it is hard for the body to return to an average amount. If the stress is bad enough, it can cause diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, and other mental health issues. 

Serious problems are caused by stress, and it can affect someone’s everyday life. Stress is hard to cope with, but finding a way to cope with it for yourself will help prevent further health issues. With struggles and challenges being through everyone constantly, it is hard to stay calm, but in the end, it is important to remember that soon everything will be okay.