Long term stress (also known as chronic stress) is the kind of stress that causes the most problems for your health. Here are some situations that can lead to chronic stress:
- Health problems, especially a chronic illness.
- Emotional problems. This can include uncontrolled anger, untreated depression, low self-esteem, guilt, or grief.
- Internal conflict — for example, your ideal life vs. your actual life.
- Difficulty in a relationship. Insecurity, mistrust, and conflict in a relationship can be a source of stress.
- Lack of close friends or family — feeling like you have no one to share your feelings with.
- Work — it could be that your work is dangerous (perhaps a police officer or firefighter) or demanding (working in a fast-paced emergency room or leading a large company). It could also be that you are just unhappy in your work environment.
- Living in a high crime area.
- Living in an overcrowded area.
- Pollution or excessive noise near your home.
- Poverty.
- Money can be a huge source of stress in a lot of different ways — feeling like you don’t make enough money, learning to stick to a budget, negotiating shared finances as a newlywed, and more.
- Discrimination against your race, gender, age, religion, or sexual orientation.
- Major life changes, like moving, getting married, or changing jobs. Even exciting life changes can be stressful.
- Transition from one life stage to another, like becoming a teenager, graduating college, or retiring.
- A child, spouse, or other family member who is under stress. The stressful situation doesn’t have to be happening to you — if a loved one is under stress, you too may feel the strain.
Lots of different things can lead to long-term stress. Whether you have a host of little irritations adding up or a major difficult situation on your hands, stress can have a big impact on your health.