Identifying Stress Triggers
Understanding how stress causes you to feel in the moment is only half of the puzzle. The other half is understanding why you feel stressed. What are the threats causing your brain to switch on the stress response?
Things that cause a stress response are called triggers. Triggers can be stressful situations, like dodging out of the way of an oncoming car or worrying about your finances.
Triggers can also be mental, like how being late makes you anxious or how you feel judged by 1 of your parents. How you think or feel can cause your brain to start the stress response. Interestingly, how you think or feel can also cause your brain to turn off the stress response.
Think about what causes you to feel stressed. What are your triggers? And can you name your feelings more precisely? When you can name your feelings, they become easier to manage. Stress experts call this process “name it to tame it.”
Common Triggers | Possible Ways to Name the Stress |
|---|---|
Deadlines at work or school | I feel anxious about being late. |
Paying bills | I feel frustrated that I'm paying late fees on bills I don't pay on time. |
Caregiving | I feel depleted because I have less time to myself than I used to have. |
Chronic illness or pain | I feel depressed when I have the thought that I don't know if this will ever end. |
Moving | I feel fear about the unknown. |
Inflation, world politics, world events | I feel angry because there are bad things in the world that I'm unable to change. |
A helping hand
Sometimes causes of stress are larger than any 1 of us can manage on our own. Social injustice, unsafe communities, global pandemics — each of these are significant sources of stress.
If you experience stress from lack of resources or feeling unsafe, you can also let your provider or care manager know. They can direct you to other resources for help.
Tap here to learn more about how social factors can affect your mental and physical health.
Putting it all together
Stress management isn’t 1 size fits all. Now that you know how stress affects you, understand what your triggers are, and can name your feelings, you’re better prepared to tackle getting it under control. The later articles in this program will help you find the best tools to manage your stress.