The Major Causes of Stress in Family Life

When we come home from work we expect to be able to relax, unwind and spend time with family, but even family life can sometimes be stressful. Stress isn't limited to one aspect of life. It affects us in many ways and several areas of our lives. Sometimes the most stressful time is the time that we spend with the people we love the most.

The most common causes of stress in family life are finances, work, and health. The financial situation is the cause most often cited for stress in family life. When there are money problems, people tend to live in a perpetual state of stress. Work may add to family stress as well. There are plenty of people that feel trapped in dead-end jobs with no opportunity for advancement. They work long hours, make minimum wage and struggle to pay the bills. Another factor that causes stress is the lack of job security.

Children are another source of stress. Parents try to protect them from the harsh realities of the world but at times the obstacles can seem insurmountable especially once children reach the pre-teen and teenage years. Parents worry about their teens becoming involved with alcohol or drugs or hanging with the wrong crowd. They worry about their education and providing for their needs and their safety. Taking on too many responsibilities is another major cause of stress in family life. Some people find it difficult to say no. This causes them to be burdened with more than they can handle.

Health can be a cause of stress, especially as people begin to age or if they have a particular health condition. Living with ill health can be stressful enough but most people are as concerned for the financial security of their families as they are their own health. Parents who still have young children worry about their care should something happen to them before their children are grown.

Stress can have an enormous impact on family life. A person suffering from stress may be more sensitive and irritable than normal. He may argue with his spouse over matters that usually wouldn't provoke such a response. A stressed parent may snap at children over the smallest transgression, then feel bad about it later. When one person in a family is experiencing high-stress levels, everyone else feels the stress too. Family members may feel as if they are walking on eggshells. It is difficult to comfort someone who is extremely stressed since they may become depressed as well.

There are several factors to take into consideration when dealing with stress in family life. Once the causes of stress have been identified, determine whether they have been long-term. For example, have money problems been ongoing? Has your marriage been in trouble for quite some time? If so, you need to get to the root of the problem to find a solution. Seek the help of a marriage counselor or debt consolidation specialist to put the problem in proper perspective. Find out what your options are, seek alternatives and work toward a solution. Take it one step at a time. Another source of stress is that people often try to do too much too quickly. When you take on more than your share you are bound to end up feeling stressed. If you get behind in your responsibilities and problems seem to mount quicker than you can solve them, learn to deal with one situation at a time. Divide projects into small steps so that they will be easier to handle.

Stress is a part of life and we are all affected by it in some way. But when the source of stress is in one's family life, it seems there is no escape. You can leave the stress of work at the office but when you go home to stress, you end up living in a state of chronic stress, which is bad for everyone around you. You may feel that you have to leave your house and go elsewhere just to get some peace of mind. Dealing with that level of pressure is certainly not healthy.

Use a positive approach to alleviating the stress in your family life. Keep an open line of communication with your spouse and family members. Talk to your teenage children. Even if they act like they're not listening, rest assured that they do hear you. Just getting your feelings out in the open can go a long way toward relieving stress. Talking may not solve the problems that are causing the stress but it can help release the stress you've kept bottled up inside. Family stress can be vanquished when family members work together to solve problems.

Long-term stress can affect your health in negative ways. Stress can contribute to a wide range of health conditions from headaches to heart disease. It can affect you mentally, physically and emotionally. Stress can interfere with your ability to concentrate and interrupt your sleep patterns. Living with chronic stress can lead to alcoholism, drug addiction, overeating, lack of appetite and depression. Chronic stress can even weaken the immune system, making you susceptible to a host of health conditions. All of these factors affect family life, leading to even more stress in the long run.

Everyone has stress in their lives but it is how you react to that stress that is important. You can learn to cope with stress by looking for positive solutions. Ask for help when you need it and keep an open line of communication with your spouse, co-workers, friends and family members. People don't know how you feel unless you talk to them. Don't juggle too many tasks at once and make one commitment at a time. You can cope with the stress in your life if you learn to expect a positive outcome rather than a negative one. People who live under chronic stress tend to expect the worst case scenario. Stop dwelling on the negative and envision the positive. Stress saps your energy. It takes the joy out of living life. Learn to manage your stress rather than letting it control you.