As an adult in a busy world, it is easy to become overwhelmed with life. There can be so many things happening at once, so many things to remember and so many things to deal with. The result of that is feeling stressed and anxious.
Feeling stressed about things mean that your mood changes. You become more worried about things and then more stressed in turn. Little things that you would normally be able to deal with then become bigger things and then suddenly they become too big to deal with. Stress makes things hard to deal with. According to research, nearly half of adults feel stressed every day or every few days. Further on in that article, 26% of adults said that money was the main cause of stress. 26%! That’s mad. I wonder if it’s because people are in debt, live beyond their means and generally trying to keep up with the Joneses.
I work in a busy environment where it can quickly become overwhelming if things aren’t considered in a systematic way. The 5 things that make me stressed are:
1) People who make things harder than they need to be. I am quite an organised person and deal with things in step-by-step way for the most efficient results. I hate it when other people over-complicate things and then projects take even longer. Don’t make things harder for yourself!
2) People who make a drama out of anything. Seriously, some people are not having a good day if there isn’t a drama going on somewhere. Being over the top and over-dramatic about something small is definitely one of my pet hates, as it normally means the “drama” then needs sorting, resulting in less time to complete other tasks.
3) When there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day. You know those days, where you can work as hard as you can but still never get everything copleted? I hate those days, because I know then that I either have to take the work home to get finished, or the next day is going to be even busier with more work added to the mix. Sometimes things happen which are unavoidable and your time is needed elsewhere, not getting enough done is not a good feeling.
4) Unexpected expenses that keep cropping up meaning the budget has to be re-jigged. Some months lots of little, unexpected expenses seem to crop up during the month which means you inevitably spend more than intended. I hate it when this happens because it’s normally something outside of my control and it means my budget is not as good as it should be. Please say someone else feels this!
5) Getting half way to work and then not being sure I’ve turned my straighteners off/locked the front door/shut the window etc. I hate this feeling when I’m driving to work and all of a sudden I think “did I turn my straighteners off?” or “I did lock the front door, right?” Most of the time I know I have, and I’m just being daft, but sometimes I genuinely cannot remember. Luckily, when I get to work, my husband is most likely still at home so I just ring him to make sure. But still, the thought makes me stressed!
There are other things I could have put, but then I wondered if some of them were more annoyances than things that stress me. The pressures of work can be stressful, friendships can be stressful, as can family. Day to day life can be stressful, especially if it’s nearing the end of the week and tiredness is setting in.
Friday’s post is going to focus on techniques I apply to de-stress or to lessen the stress I feel. I’d like some more input on that post if you could? What is one thing you do to de-stress? I’ll add it to the post!
Do you agree with any of mine? Is there something else that stresses you? I’d love to hear from you!
P.S do you have twitter? Follow me here!
I agree with your first two points, anything to do with other people making a fuss over nothing really annoys me. Although the only thing I’d put on a list like this is driving, I bloody hate it. (And again it’s all to do with other people, I’m usually pretty calm until someone gets in my way!) My favourite thing to do is get my knitting out and put a movie on, so in stressful times this is extra effective 🙂
Ooh that’s true! I hadn’t thought of driving – I’m not a fan but it’s a necessity at the moment. I would love to know how to knit!
I agree with all of these, especially one and two who are often the same people! Even working part time there are not enough hours in the day – especially on productive days and you feel there was still more to get from it! I do number 5 all the time 🙁 I also stress myself out if I have to do a big journey for work and think I’ve forgotten something but for which there would be no time to go back. It’s silly the things we do to ourselves! Bad drivers make me stressed too, but that may be more to do with the (old) car I drive and people’s perception of it/me! Looking forward to the stress relief hints!
Bad drivers are a nuisance 🙁 I just thought of another thing that stresses me – not knowing where I’m going/getting lost!
I do the same thing with my straightener! Now whenever I unplug it, I make sure to make a mental note so I’m positive it’s turned off.
I take solo walks during the day at work. It helps me refocus!
I unplug mine now and try to make a note so that I know I’ve turned it off. I wish I had the time to go for a walk at lunch time – I’m sure that helps a lot 🙂
I don’t like drama either, it’s just so unattractive. I also don’t like negative people; those who only look at the negative side of things. I try to see the positive of every situation and have found to be happier because of it. I learned that from my grandmother who is always positive and always happy.
You are so right – negative people are very frustrating. I also try to see the positive in things to make the day easier 🙂
Yes yes yes! There have been a few times I accidentally left my hair straightener on, so I’ve gotten paranoid and double check to make sure it’s off. I’ve mostly gotten into the habit of unplugging it after using it.
I am sure you’re not the only one who feels that way about their budget, either. I think everyone hates unexpected expenses!
I double check too! And unplug 🙂 I guess unexpected expenses are horrible for anyone, unless you’ve got a very good emergency fund 🙂
Would love to see your tips on how to reduce stress. Looking forward to reading them.
Thanks! That post will go up on Friday 🙂
I used to go through #5 with my garage door all the time. I could never remember if I shut it! Drove me crazy =)
This makes me feel glad we don’t have a garage! 🙂 I’d probably do the same with that.
Overly dramatic people really get under my skin. You are right, if there isn’t anything dramatic going on, they have to make something out of nothing!
Reading or watching bad reality tv, helps me de-stress.:)
We watch some pretty awful reality tv too 🙂
Is there ever enough time in the day? You just have to learn to maximize it! If a task takes less than 15 minutes or so, go ahead and do it no-matter how mindless or painful it is. It frees up a lot of your day!
That’s very true – sometimes I put off a task for ages that only takes me about 10 minutes in the end!
Nicola,
Drama is the worst!
Some people just can’t do without it; their day isn’t complete until there’s been some drama. No, thanks.
I go out of my way to avoid people who crave drama. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your list!
Best regards.
I can’t stand people who create drama out of nothing – just be thankful things are going alright! 🙂
Passive agressive people drive me crazy!
Ooh yes, good point. Thanks for stopping by!
I can relate to all of these. Have turned around several times to return home to make sure I closed the garage door. That’s a really odd feeling when you think you’ve forgotten something. Wonder what brings that on because almost all the times I haven’t forgotten. Maybe we are just worriers by nature and that triggers that feeling like we missed something.
I’m so glad it’s not just me! I am a worrier by nature but even so, I’ve nearly always done the thing I thought I’d forgot. It would be interesting to know what brings on the feeling that you’ve forgotten something!