Everyone experiences some degree of stress and anxiety from time to time. Anxiety and stress can stem from many causes, such as physical, environmental or mental stimuli. If you experience an inordinate amount of stress or anxiety, you may want to implement a daily relaxation routine so you can unwind. Consider doing yoga, exercising, meditating or anything else you find soothing. If you suffer from anxiety which impedes your ability to function, you should consult your doctor or a licensed mental health professional.
Physical
According to the National Institutes of Health MedlinePlus website, stress and anxiety can stem from physical causes such as illness, an overactive thyroid, low blood sugar or heart attack. If you suffer from a high level of stress and anxiety, you may want to have a physical examination so you can rule out any possible physical causes. Certain drugs and medications, such as diet pills and ADHD medications, can also trigger a stress response in your body. Alcohol, caffeine or a poor diet may cause you to feel anxious. You should speak to your doctor about any medications or drugs you are using, since these can cause symptoms of anxiety.
Emotional/Mental
Mental or emotional causes of stress and anxiety include grief, depression or an anxiety disorder. Worrying about your job, money, family, relationships and issues in the news can trigger reactions of stress and anxiety. In a September 29, 2009 New York Times article "Understanding the Anxious Mind," Robin Marantz Henig points out that sometimes, your innate temperament will be a cause of anxious reactions. Your mental state can affect your physical state, and vice versa. If you already suffer from poor health, you may be worrying and obsessing, and worrying and obsessing can cause poor health.
Environmental
Environmental causes of stress and anxiety include everything from your living environment to problems with your neighbors and community. It includes the minor causes of frustration in everyday life that everyone is exposed to, such as walking on a crowded sidewalk, being unable to find a parking spot when you go shopping or noisy neighbors. According to Gary W. Evans in his book "Environmental Stress," factors such as noise, air pollution, crowding and the weather can all play a part in making you feel stressed or anxious. An inability to control your immediate surroundings can leave you feeling tense, irritable, annoyed or enraged.
References
- NIH MedlinePlus: Stress and anxiety
- NY TImes: Understanding the Anxious Mind
- "Environmental Stress"; Gary Evans; 1984
