5 Things You Didn't Know Were Stressing You TF Out

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It’s National Stress Awareness Day, which is a great opportunity to focus on your overall wellbeing, identify the things that cause you stress and figure out ways to manage it.

Did you know that stress is strongly tied to cardiac disease, hypertension, inflammatory diseases, compromised immune systems, and possibly to cancer? And it’s all thanks to one little hormone: cortisol. Elevated cortisol gives us a short-term boost but also suppresses the immune system, elevates blood sugar, and impedes bone formation.

Which is even more reason why managing stress levels is important for our health. And some people are so used to feeling stress on the body, mind and spirit that they don’t realize it’s an issue. The Active Times wrote, “The feeling of anxiety and tension is so common; many people think they are OK unless they are having a heart attack. But the truth is that stress has a sneaky way of building up in you until it becomes a serious problem.”

Check out our list of things you probably didn’t know were stressing you TF out. We’ve also added tips to help you shake the stress off and get back to living your best life.  Hit the flip to check it out.

Stress: Your partner

Ken Yeager, the associate professor of psychiatry at the Ohio State University, told Health.com, “Early in the relationship, it’s usually about space and habits—like whether you squeeze the toothpaste from the middle or the bottom of the tube. Later on, you might clash over parenting style or financial issues, and finding a unified front to face these issues together.

Tip: Keeping communication open, honest and remembering to show love.

Stress: Social Media

A 2015 study from the Pew Research Center claimed that frequent social-media use can be associated with negative body image and prolonged breakup pain.

Tip: Limit your time on social media. Follow more positive, inspirational pages.

Stress: Other people’s problems

According to a 2014 German study, most participants who simply observed others completing a stressful task experienced an increase themselves in production of the stress hormone cortisol.

Tip: Show empathy and compassion, but remind yourself that this is not your battle to fight.

Stress: Worrying about the future

Often times we’re so focused on problems to be fixed in the next moment that we miss the magic of the present.

Tip: Practice mindfulness. Stay present.

Stress: Dwelling on the past/ Childhood

A 2014 University of Wisconsin-Madison study found that traumatic childhood experiences may actually change parts of the brain responsible for processing stress and emotion. The way you were raised can also have a lasting impact on your everyday angst.

Tip: Therapy and counseling helps to unpack the old baggage and let it go.