"Life just gets more demanding. Today's life is more stressful,"
says Richard Rahe of Salem, Ore, a psychiatrist who in 1967 co-created
the Life Changes Stress Test (also known as the Social Readjustment
Rating Scale), which is now widely used in stress management.
Many of you know me as a compulsive blogger, Internet Writer and Relationship Columnist, but a little know fact is that I am also a Qualified Stress Consultant (MASC) and Character Analyst (AMANF). I qualified years ago in 1995 when these things weren't quite so popular as they are now in terms of providing services to others. I studied the stress course in order to help me to manage my own stress, which at the time was affecting my health quite badly. I had irritable bowel syndrome, sinusitis, back ache and a whole host of other random symptoms, visual disturbances, headaches etc. As you can see a long list!
You might be suffering from similar 'mystery' ailments that seem to just keep coming but have you made the connection yet that it might be stress that is causing these problems?
I will over the coming weeks, write a number of articles on what causes stress and how it affects our body and most importantly what we can do about it. But in the meantime, let us consider why we seem more stressed in 2008 than our ancestors did in 1908!
Stress is a word we hear bandied about fairly often in this modern world, but one I am sure the older generation still frown at. In their day they just got on with things, or so they tell me. They had no need for counselors or therapists or stress management! In part they are correct, but times have changed.
Whereas years ago people lived in much closer knit communities and had large support networks of family and friends to share the burdeon, now families are spread further apart as people travel to new jobs and better opportunities. Life is lived at a faster pace as people want more for less on an ongoing basis. Equality has also had a significant impact.
Women and men are equally affected by the changes in equality. Women are now expected to have a career and be mum, a wife and caretaker. Men are expected to work, support mums with housework and children, adopting a traditionally female role around the home. These changes may appear to be for the better but the roles have not reversed, rather they have just equalised meaning that both sexes are now performing both duties, doubling their overall workload and thus their stress!
Life is thus more stressful and there are less people to share that stress with and so disperse it.
Stress can also be caused by anxiety over work or exams, anxiety about finances, relationships, moving house, divorce even happy occassions like planning a wedding or birthday party can cause stress.
I know myself as a busy divorced mum, with no family nearby that by not having someone in the evening to unload my days trials and tribulations to, that this can in itself be a source of stress.
From a work point of view, I worked in the NHS which is traditionally one of the most stressful organisations to work for due to the constant demand for services, lack of resources and pressures to provide for a growing population. I can't argue with the results either! As a Health Center Manager I had colleagues unloading their stress on me daily and in return would unload on my faithful secretary. This need to 'unload' is an integral part of dealing with stress and something I hope I can help you with in the weeks and months to come. An impartial 'listener' who is experienced in listening and qualified in Stress Management.
So what causes us stress and what the heck can we do about it!
There is something we can do. But as with all things, it's different horses for different courses, and not every stress management strategy will suit everyone. Over the next few weeks, I will put together some strategies that will cater for different personalities and types of stressors.
For more information check out
my website, which I will update shortly.
Stay Well
Leah Gray - Stress Consultant and Character Analyst - MASC, AMANF.
