The things that cause chronic stress tend to be the ever-present, nagging, day-to-day life situations that often seem unrelenting. This can include:
- family problems
- problems with other relationships
- care of children or other relatives
- work situations
- financial issues
- legal problems
- addiction
- health problems
- time management
- problems communicating
While it is often the buildup of several little things that can cause chronic stress, there are other stressors that can cause major stress in your life. One of these is major life changes. Any type of major change in your life, either good or bad, can cause stress. Examples of major life changes include: getting fired, changing jobs, starting or ending a relationship, divorce, getting married, buying a home, relocating, starting or finishing school, starting a family or having kids leave the home, being a victim of a crime, spending time in jail, retirement, mid-life crisis, and menopause.
A final source of stress that everyone must deal with at some point is grief and loss. Losing a family member or a friend unexpectedly to a sudden illness or accident can be very stressful and the feelings of stress can last far beyond the event itself. Alternatively, watching someone close to you go through a slow and painful death can be even worse. The people with some of the highest stress levels are caretakers who are responsible for loved ones with progressive neurological diseases, especially Alzheimer’s disease. For some people even the death of a pet, a celebrity, or an acquaintance can cause considerable stress that lasts for some time.