--- title: 17 Surprising Reasons You're Stressed Out description: Watch out for these hidden anxiety triggers canonical: https://time.com/3739299/17-reasons-stressed-out/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-14T12:00:31.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:40:55.606Z article:section: Health og:title: 17 Surprising Reasons You're Stressed Out og:description: Watch out for these hidden anxiety triggers og:url: https://time.com/3739299/17-reasons-stressed-out/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfcd572875692c874/698783012dce0153dc9ddf7d/485221893-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: woman-headache-stressed og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 17 Surprising Reasons You're Stressed Out twitter:description: Watch out for these hidden anxiety triggers twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfcd572875692c874/698783012dce0153dc9ddf7d/485221893-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1080&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 17 Surprising Reasons You're Stressed Out ## Video: How $1,000 Could Help Your Health [Watch (HLS stream): How $1,000 Could Help Your Health](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EILRa37f.m3u8) (2:01)  _Published 2014-08-22. From acupuncture to yoga, $1,000 can go a long way to improving your health._ by [Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Health.com Mar 14, 2015 12:00 PM UTC  Woman with head in hands Woman with head in handsGetty Images by [Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Health.com Mar 14, 2015 12:00 PM UTC You’re probably all too aware of the major sources of stress in your life—money, your terrible commute, the construction workers who start jackhammering at 5 a.m. But stress and anxiety don’t have to just come from obvious or even negative sources. “There are plenty of chronic strains and low-grade challenges that don’t necessarily overwhelm you in the moment, but almost take more of a toll in the long run,” says Scott Schieman, PhD, professor of sociology at the University of Toronto. These are some of unexpected reasons why you might feel anxious or agitated. By recognizing them for what they are, says Schieman, you can better prepare to cope. **Your significant other** Even if you have a blissfully [happy relationship](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20853691,00.html) with your [live-in partner](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20668163,00.html) or spouse, you’re both bound to do things that get on each other’s nerves. “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,” says Ken Yeager, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Later on, you might clash over parenting style or financial issues, and finding a unified front to face these issues together.” So what’s the key to surviving and thriving in your life together? Finding balance, says Yeager: spending the right amount of time together (not too much and not too little), making compromises, keeping communication open and honest, and remembering to acknowledge what you love about each other on a daily basis. **Everyday annoyances** We’re told not to [sweat the small stuff](http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20410898,00.html), but sometimes it’s the little things that have the biggest impact on our mood: the never-ending phone calls with your insurance company, the rude cashier at the grocery store, the 20 minutes you lose looking for a parking space. “We let these things bother us because they trigger unconscious fears,” says Yeager—fears of being seen as irresponsible, of being bullied or embarrassed, or of being late all the time, for example. “Sometimes you need to take a step back and realize that you’re doing the best you can given the circumstances.” **Read more:** [12 Signs You May Have an Anxiety Disorder](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20646990,00.html?xid=time-stress-030915) **Other people’s stress** Stress is contagious, according to a 2014 German study: In a series of experiments, most participants who simply observed others completing [a stressful task](http://www.psyneuen-journal.com/article/S0306-4530%2814%2900124-3/abstract?cc=y) experienced an increase themselves in production of the stress hormone cortisol—a phenomenon known as empathic stress. You can also experience stress when someone you know is affected by a traumatic event, like a car crash or a chronic illness. “You start to worry, ‘Oh my gosh, could that happen to me?’,” says Yeager. “We tend not to think about these things until they hit close to home.” **Social media** It may seem like Facebook is the only way you keep up with the friends you don’t see regularly—which, during particularly busy times, can be just about all of them. The social network also has a downside, according to a 2015 study from the Pew Research Center: It can make you aware of stressful situations in your friends’ lives, which in turn can add more stress to your life. The Pew report didn’t find that social media users, overall, had higher levels of stress, but previous studies have suggested that frequent social-media use can be associated with [negative body image](http://news.health.com/2014/04/11/does-facebook-make-women-feel-bad-about-their-bodies/) and [prolonged breakup pain](http://news.health.com/2012/09/26/can-facebook-prolong-post-breakup-pain/). **Distraction** A distraction can be a good thing then when it takes your mind off of a stressful situation or difficult decision, like when you take a break from work to meet a friend for lunch. But it works the other way, as well: When you’re so busy thinking about something else that you can’t enjoy what’s going on around you, that kind of [distraction](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20480962,00.html) can be a recipe for stress. [Practicing mindfulness](http://today.ttu.edu/2014/12/ask-the-experts-coping-with-stress/) gives you brain the refresh it needs, says Richard Lenox, director of the Student Counseling Center at Texas Tech University. Paying full attention to your surroundings when you’re walking and driving can help, he adds. “Stress and anxiety tend to melt away when our mind is focused on the present.” **Read more:** [12 Worst Habits for Your Mental Health](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20866947,00.html?xid=time-stress-030915) **Your childhood** Traumatic events that happened when you were a kid can continue to affect your stress levels and overall health into adulthood. A 2014 University of Wisconsin-Madison study found that these [childhood experiences](http://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223%2814%2900351-5/abstract) 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, suggests a 2014 Johns Hopkins University study. Researchers found that children of parents with social anxiety disorders are more likely to develop “trickle-down anxiety”—not simply because of their genes, but because of their [parents’ behaviors](http://www.hopkinschildrens.org/Study-Examines-Parental-Behaviors-that-Create-Anxious-Children.aspx) toward them such as a lack of warmth and emotion, or high levels of criticism and doubt. **Tea and chocolate** You probably know to take it easy on the coffee when you’re already feeling on edge. “Caffeine is always going to make stress worse,” says Yeager. But you may not think as much about drinking several cups of tea at once, or chowing down on a bar of dark chocolate—both of which can contain [nearly as much caffeine](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20313656,00.html) as a cup of joe. “[Chocolate](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20618002,00.html) is a huge caffeine source,” says Yeager. “I know people who don’t drink coffee but they’ll eat six little candy bars in a two-hour period because they want the same kind of jolt.” Too much caffeine, in any form, can cause problems with sleep, digestion, and irritability. **Read more:** [25 Surprising Ways Stress Affects Your Health](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20642595,00.html?xid=time-stress-030915) **Your expectations** When things don’t go the way you’ve planned, do you tend to get upset and act defensively, or do you roll with the punches and set off on a new plan? If it’s the former, you could be contributing to a mindset of pessimism and victimization that will slowly wear you down, even when things may not be as bad as they seem. “Your level of serenity is inversely proportionate to your expectations,” says Yeager. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set ambitious goals for yourself or settle for less than what you want, of course, but being realistic about what’s truly possible is important, as well. **Your reaction to stress** If you tend to deal with stressful situations by working long hours, skipping your workouts, and [bingeing on junk food](http://news.health.com/2009/03/12/why-we-eat-when-were-stressed-and-how-to-stop/), we’ve got some bad news: You’re only making it worse. “We know that physical activity and healthy foods will help your body better [deal with stress](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20765943,00.html), and yet we often avoid them when we need them the most,” says Yeager. “People really need to think about this downward spiral we get into and work harder to counteract it.” **Multitasking** Think you’re being super efficient by tackling four tasks at once? Chances are you’re not —and it’s only decreasing your productivity while [increasing your stress](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20707868,00.html). A 2012 University of Irvine study, for example, found that people who [responded to emails](http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/chi%5F2012.pdf) all day long while also trying to get their work done experienced more heart-rate variability (an indicator of mental stress) than those who waited to respond to all of their emails at one time. [Focusing on one task at a time](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20497434,00.html) can ensure that you’re doing that job to the best of your abilities and getting the most out of it, so you won’t have to worry about or go back and fix it later, says Schieman. And don’t worry: You’ll have enough time to do it all. In fact, you may discover you have more time than you thought. **Your favorite sport** Watching a tight game of college hoops can stress you out—even if your alma mater wins. “The body doesn’t distinguish between ‘bad’ stress from life or work and ‘good’ stress caused by [game-day excitement](http://www.uab.edu/news/youcanuse/item/5203-is-football-stress-hazardous-to-fans-health),” says Jody Gilchrist, a nurse practitioner at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Heart and Vascular Clinic. Watching sports can even trigger the body’s sympathetic nervous system, releasing adrenaline and reducing blood flow to the heart. Those temporary consequences aren’t usually anything to be concerned about, but over time, chronic stress can lead to high blood pressure and increased disease risk. And, of course, it doesn’t help if you’re adding alcohol and binge-eating to a situation that’s already stressful on your body. You may not be able to control the outcome of the game, says Gilchrist, but you can limit its effects on your own body. **Read more:** [11 Things You Should Never Do When You’re Angry](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20805851,00.html?xid=time-stress-030915) **Digital devices** Whether you’re using it for work or play, technology may play a large role in your [mental health](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20866947,00.html), says Yeager. Using computers or e-readers [too close to bedtime](http://news.health.com/2014/12/22/tablets-and-e-readers-may-disrupt-your-sleep/) could lead to [sleep problems](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20407230,00.html), he says, and spending too much time virtually socializing can make real-life interactions seem extra stressful. (Plus, texting doesn’t trigger the same [feel-good hormones](http://news.health.com/2013/01/31/texting-doesnt-replace-the-feel-good-effects-of-talking-study-says/) as face-to-face talk does.) Then there’s the dreaded “work creep,” says Schieman, when smartphones allow employees to be tethered to their jobs, even during off-hours. “People say they’re only going to check email for an hour while they’re on vacation, but the problem with email is that they’re filled with responsibilities, new tasks, and dilemmas that are going to be hard to compartmentalize and put out of your head once that hour is up.” **Your (good) health** While it may not be as [stressful](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20642595,00.html) as having a chronic illness or getting bad news at the doctor’s office, even people in the best shape of their lives worry about their bodies, their diets, and their fitness levels. In fact, people who take healthy living to an extreme may experience some rather unhealthy side effects. People who follow low-carb diets, for example, are more likely to report being [sad or stressed out](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20359381,00.html), while those on any kind of restrictive meal plan [may feel more tired](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20723556,00.html) than usual. And it’s not unheard of for someone to become obsessed with healthy eating (known as [orthorexia](http://news.health.com/2014/07/03/vegan-bloggers-unusual-eating-disorder-shocks-followers/)) or working out (gymorexia). Like any form of [perfectionism](http://news.health.com/2014/10/03/why-perfectionism-could-be-killing-you/), these problems can be stressful at best, and extremely dangerous at worst. **Housework** Does folding laundry help you feel calm, or does it make your blood boil? If you’re in a living situation where you feel you’re responsible for an unfair share of work, even chores you once enjoyed may start to feel like torture. “Dividing up housework and parenting responsibilities can be tricky, especially if both partners work outside the home,” says Schieman. “And whether you define that division of labor as equal or unequal can really change your attitude toward it.” **Read more:** [19 Natural Remedies for Anxiety](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20669377,00.html?xid=time-stress-030915) **Uncertainty** Stress can be defined as any perceived or actual threat, says Yeager, so any type of doubt that’s looming over you can contribute to your anxiety levels on a daily basis. “When you know something could change at any minute, you always have your guard up and it’s hard to just relax and enjoy anything.” Financial uncertainty may be the most obvious stressor—not being sure if you’ll keep your job during a round of layoffs, or not knowing how you’ll pay your credit card bill. Insecurities in other areas of life, like your relationship or your housing status, can eat away at you too. **Your pet** No matter how much you love your [furry friends](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20810305,00.html), there’s no question that they add extra responsibility to your already full plate. Even healthy animals need to be fed, exercised, cleaned up after, and given plenty of attention on a regular basis—and unhealthy ones can be a whole other story. “Pets can be the most positive source of unconditional love, but at the same time they require an extreme amount of energy,” says Yeager. People also tend to underestimate the stress they’ll experience when they lose a pet. “I’ve had people in my office tell me they cried more when their dog died than when their parent died. It’s a very emotional connection.” **Your education** Having a college degree boosts your odds of landing a well-paying job, so although you’re less likely to suffer from money-related [anxiety](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20646990,00.html), your education can bring on other types of stress, according to a 2014 study by Schieman and his University of Toronto colleagues. His research found that [highly educated people](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cars.12051/abstract) were more likely to be stressed out thanks to [job pressures](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20409593,00.html), being overworked, and conflicts between work and family. “Higher levels of authority come with a lot more interpersonal baggage, such as supervising people or deciding whether they get promotions,” says Schieman. “With that type of responsibility, you start to take things like incompetency and people not doing their jobs more personally, and it bothers you more.” [_This article originally appeared on Health.com._](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20905719,00.html) ### See the 10 Healthiest Cities to Live in America  Honolulu, Hawaii Best Place for Lifelong Health The heavenly climate helps, but the key to well-being here also includes enviable health care and a rich cultural tradition of looking out for one another. Colin Anderson—Blend Images/Corbis  San Francisco Bay Area, Calif. Best Place for Eating Right. The "farm to table" movement began here. The region's bounty of produce and year-round growing season make eating healthy—and local—a natural. Getty Images  Burlington, Vt. Best Place for Raising Healthy Kids This New England city offers great schools, excellent pediatric care, loads of culture and limitless options for healthy outdoor fun all year long. Matt Hogan/www.mphoganphoto.com  Silicon Valley, Calif. Best Place for Workplace Wellness With treadmill desks, meetings on bikes, time off for creativity, and gobs of organic food, tech titans are reinventing how to stay healthy on the job. Jim Wilson—The New York Times/Redux  Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. Best Place for Aging Well Yes, it can be cold. But with a plethora of stimulating activities and a robust web of support, the Twin Cities prove that growing old doesn't mean slowing down. Getty Images  Denver and Boulder, Colo. Best Place for Keeping Fit The urge to get outside and get moving is contagious in these Rocky Mountain cities, where physical challenge is built into the landscape. Celin Serbo—Aurora Photos/Corbis  Plano, Texas Best Place for Staying Safe Once a rural outpost, this booming, diverse city has kept its small-town vibe, thanks in part to a police force and community that knows how to work together. Misty Keasler—Redux for TIME  Portland, Ore. Best Place for a Healthy Environment Small, walkable neighborhoods, 300 miles of bike paths, and urban policies that foster active living and sustainability make for one clean, green city. Getty Images  Boston, Mass. Best Place for Health Care This history-rich city is home to some of the nation's most advanced medical institutions and policies that help ensure that quality care is available to all. K.C. Cohen—Courtesy of Boston Children's Hospital  Provo and Orem, Utah Best Place for Spiritual Well-Being A stunning Rocky Mountain backdrop and a tight-knit population that lives its faith contribute not only to this region's serenity but also to lower rates of disease. 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