Fotuhi Friday: How To Reduce Stress

What are the three most common causes of anxiety and stress?

Today we are going to tackle the common causes of stress and anxiety, how you can combat them effectively, and how you can gain control over your life. 

You may feel like there are so many things that cause stress and anxiety, but most of the causes will fall under the umbrella of the three most common which we are about to go over. Let’s dive in! 

The 3 Most Common Causes of Stress and Anxiety

You may not feel this way, but it’s possible to enjoy your life without the gloom of stress hanging over you!

Let me start by telling you the three most common causes of stress and anxiety in all of us. If you have a brain, raise your hand because this pertains to you!

1. Lack of Control

This cause seems like a no-brainer, but it’s true: we cannot control the world around us. 

This fact makes us frustrated. Things happen: accidents, arguments, surprises. We want our kids, coworkers, and spouses to do certain things, and they just don’t do the things that we want them to do.

2. Responsibility and Blame

Another common cause of stress and anxiety is that we feel other people are responsible for the things that go wrong in our life. 

For example, you may have a running thought process similar to any of these listed below. 

•  “If only my spouse treated our children differently, our children would be well-behaved, and we would have a happier life.” 
• “If only our coworkers behaved the way they are supposed to we would have a better work environment.” 
• “If only the government didn’t tax me extra for living in Bethesda, MD, I would have more money to do the things I want to do.”

3. Habitual Response

The third major cause of stress and anxiety is something called habitual response. 

For example, some people feel stress whenever they have to call their parents or their boss. Habitual response is the anxiety that arises before the conversation or situation has even taken place. 

So, it’s a feeling that every time a situation arises you automatically react in a certain way before knowing the outcome. 

How to Combat the Common Causes of Stress and Anxiety

You may be thinking, “Wow, I can really resonate with these problems.” That’s totally normal! We all struggle with stress and anxiety, but our brains have the capacity to solve and fix these problems. 

Even if you have experienced these issues for years on end, or decades you can begin to start changing the way you think with these three methods.

1. Control Your Own Mind

Accept and consider the fact that you have control over your mind– you drive the vehicle. We can only control our own thoughts and emotions. We have our amazing brain which dictates what we do and helps us perceive the world around us. 

The things that we consider right or wrong the basic products of our brain’s functioning. So if you think your spouse is doing this and that, you might be right, or you may be wrong. But it can be humbling to know that the things which you hold as truths may not actually be absolute truths.

2. Take Responsibility

Take responsibility for what happens to you. You have control of your thoughts and emotions and what happens to you. There’s no point in blaming your actions on what your mother did to you 20 years ago. Those actions are in the past, and you may find it calming to accept that it will never come back.

You don’t have to relive these moments in your thought process; you can take the time to meditate instead and bring your breath back to the present moment.

Take responsibility of how you live your day to day life, think on the positive side, switch your thought process around by affirming the opposite every time a negative thought arises.

3. Stay Positive

Hop on the positivity train and move with excitement rather than fear. We have no idea what tomorrow might hold, so why not think positively?

Try it out; it can’t hurt you! On the other hand, when you have too much stress and anxiety, cortisol will be released in your brain, which contributes to memory loss and disease later on in life. 

What’s the positivity train? Well since you asked it whistles to a tune that goes a lot like this: Optimism + Joy + Faith = Experiencing Today!

The Neuroscience of Life 

The stressful things around you have to do with the way you perceive them to be stressful. If you change the way you think about them, all the stress will begin to melt away.

We live in a society where everything is so fast-paced, slow it down, give each moment the attention it deserves, and find beauty in all the little things. 

You can indeed control positive or negative thoughts in your head, and you do have the power to do so when you believe in the positive.  

It’s so important for your long term health to destress and release any anxieties that you might have. If you’re not sure how to do this, come into our office, our 12-week brain fitness program will help you keep your mind strong. And a strong mind is a happy mind!