Stress occurs when the demands upon an individual surpass the resources in
his/her arsenal to meet such demands. There are many causes for stress,
which may be broadly classified into physical, mental, emotional, personal,
familial, social, professional, religious and spiritual.
Let
us examine a few important physical causes of stress.
A.
The Modern Life Style Stress: The modern life style is mainly
responsible for the physical causes of stress.
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Sedentary life style stress:
Lack of exercise predispose to many diseases like obesity, Diabetes
mellitus, problems associated with increased cholesterol etc. Toxic
products of body metabolism accumulate in the body and the individual
falls prey for a complex disorder called metabolic syndrome. This builds
up stress with its associated effects on target organs. This becomes a
vicious cycle.
-
Fast food culture:
Fast food culture also predisposes the individual to obesity and the rich
man’s selective nutritional deficiencies. Most of these foods are
allergenic due to increased content of artificial food additives.
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Excess consumption
of alcohol, coffee, and cigarette. Though nutritionally worthless, these
affect the body and mind in a number of harmful ways. Excess alcohol
overburdens liver and the dependency state creates emotional distress in
the individual and the family members.
B.
Exposure to chemicals in fertilizers, pesticides, additives and abuse
of drugs, which slowly poisons the systems, are important causes of distress
in modern life.
C.
Competitiveness drives people to over exert themselves. It is common
for athletes to push themselves beyond their body’s endurance. Many
physically unfit persons attempt vigorous exercises without proper warming
up. Many individuals are workaholics and put in long hours of exertion at a
stretch. Some employees are made to work extra hours by greedy employers.
All these deplete body’s energy reserves and lead to exhaustion, ill-health
and burn outs.
D.
Ecological abuse exposes people to harmful radiation, toxic wastes,
chemicals and impure air. These adversely affect the wellness of the
individual and his surroundings. Protection of one’s immediate environment
becomes a personal priority and responsibility of each individual.
E. Lack of Good Health Habits: We tend to forget
the essential requisites of good health (in addition to food and exercise)
like fresh air, pure water and optimum sun exposure. Many people spend hours
inside stuffy office rooms or ‘rest areas’ filled with smoke. Daily intake
of 8-10 glasses of water is essential for proper dispersal of nutrients
throughout the body. Reduced water intake causes dehydration which could
lead to many symptoms like drowsiness, weakness, headache, loss of memory
etc. Regular exposure to early morning or dawn sunlight will do wonders for
our complexion and general health. Denial of any of these basic health
requirements for prolonged period of time will cause dis'ease' and, of
course, distress.
F. Other Physical Illnesses: Any other physical
illness is bound to cause stress in an individual, as health concerns are
one of the foremost things that will affect the peace of mind of a person.
Illness in other members of the family also produces varying amounts of
stress and anxiety in an individual.
G. Financial Stress: Falling in debt is highly
stressful for any individual. Inflation, insufficient salary, lack of
additional streams of income, improper saving habits, over expenditure,
failure in business all add to the financial worries of the individual.
H. Traffic Stress: Driving to and from the
workplace is an immense gargantuan task in the metropolis and can contribute
to the daily stress that an individual has to endure. Traffic snarls,
impatience, abusive fellow drivers, traffic accidents, parking tickets etc
are the contributors for the traffic stress. The sense of helplessness felt
during the daily commuting can be overwhelming at times. The suppressed
emotions can cause frustration, anger and depression if one does not learn
how to handle this potentially threatening state of affairs.
