Everyone experiences stress, but it can be overwhelming to know how to manage it. When major life stressors come up, it’s important to have strategies to cope and relax. The top five most stressful life events include:
- Death of a loved one
- Divorce
- Moving
- Major illness or injury
- Job loss
It might feel like stress is an emotional issue – something that lives strictly inside your head. But stress can become a physical issue as well, especially when dealing with the most stressful events in life.
Your body instinctively responds to changes and perceived threats, says Francoise Adan, MD, ABIHM, Medical Director, University Hospitals Connor Whole Health. Your body reacts by releasing stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol to switch you into fight-or-flight mode.
After experiencing stressful life events, Dr. Adan says stored-up stress can contribute to symptoms and issues related to:
“Day-to-day stress takes its toll on everyone,” she says. “We’re constantly bombarded by threats and changes, but because we don’t usually literally fight or run, we stay reactive. We’re bathed and flooded in stress hormones.”
How to Manage the Most Stressful Events in Life
When stress strikes, you can take steps to reduce the impact on your body. To alleviate symptoms and manage even the top stressors in life, Dr. Adan recommends these three steps:
1. Take Action
- Your body is primed to act, so go ahead and get physically moving.
- “Contract your muscles, release and shake it out. You can march in place or wring a towel – 30 to 60 seconds will reboot your body and return you to physical stability,” Dr. Adan says.
2. Breathe
- Hit the pause button and tune into yourself. Consider using guided imagery and mindfulness to engage in the moment. Being present will realign the body.
- “Think: ‘I am here; it is what it is.’ It’s about acceptance, not control,” she says.
3. Feel Good
- Take at least 30 seconds to just feel good. It’ll release the same endorphins you get when you exercise.
- “Think about what you’re grateful for,” Dr. Adan says. “Tap or sing along to a song. I tell my clients to keep Play-Doh at their desks and take a minute to play.”
Research shows that using this type of framework for roughly five to 10 minutes a day will improve your health, longevity and productivity. While this is particularly important following stressful life events, it’s better to make it an everyday habit.
"Not one of us can’t spare five minutes a day,” Dr. Adan says. “It’s a choice for health.”
Related Links
University Hospitals Connor Whole Health’s S.M.A.R.T.™ (Stress Management and Resilience Training) Program can provide additional tips and practices for managing even the most stressful life events. It’s an eight-week series led by experts on stress resilience.
FAQs
Death of a loved one.
What is stress in daily life? ›
Stress is your body's reaction to a challenge or demand. In short bursts, stress can be positive, such as when it helps you avoid danger or meet a deadline. But when stress lasts for a long time, it may harm your health.
What is an example of a stressful situation? ›
Any major life change can be stressful -- even a happy event like a wedding or a job promotion. More unpleasant events, such as a divorce, major financial setback, or death in the family can be significant sources of stress.
What are the top 10 causes of stress? ›
What kind of situations can cause stress?
- Illness or injury.
- Pregnancy and becoming a parent.
- Infertility and problems having children.
- Bereavement.
- Experiencing abuse.
- Experiencing crime and the justice system, such as being arrested, going to court or being a witness.
- Organising a complicated event, like a holiday.
There is a consensus among researchers that severe circ*mstances such as death of a spouse, sexual assault, or learning of a diagnosis of imminent death are examples of major stressful life events—events that we expect will result in psychological and physiological stress responses for the average person.
What was the most stressful moment in your life? ›
Losing a loved one such as a parent, child, sibling, or close friend can be devastating and understandably difficult to cope with. Even if you don't share day-to-day life in the same way with other family members as you do with your spouse, their death can still create big waves of change in your life.
What is the single most stressful event in life on the life stress scale? ›
Death of a spouse: 100 points. Divorce: 73 points. Marital separation: 65 points. Jail term: 63 points.
What are stressful life events in mental health? ›
Challenges such as job loss, grief, accidents, or relationship issues can lead to stress and sadness, even thoughts of suicide. Happy events like having a baby or marriage can also trigger feelings of depression. Seek support from a counsellor or doctor if life feels overwhelming.
What are the five types of stress? ›
Stress factors broadly fall into four types or categories: physical stress, psychological stress, psychosocial stress, and psycho-spiritual stress.
What are 3 types of everyday stress? ›
The 3 types of stress and their stressors. Stress can be categorized into three main types: acute stress, episodic acute stress, and chronic stress. Each type has its own characteristics, symptoms, duration, and treatment approaches.
Daily versus chronic stressors. Daily stressors refer to the challenges of day-to-day living, and encompass both predictable challenges, such as caring for a child or commuting between work and home, as well as unexpected events, such as a malfunctioning home appliance, an unexpected work deadline, or a traffic jam.
What are the three most stressful things in life? ›
What Are the 5 Top Stressors in Life?
- Death of a Loved One.
- Divorce or Separation.
- Moving.
- Long-Term Illness.
- Job Loss.
Life can be stressful—you may feel stressed about performance at school, traumatic events (such as a pandemic, a natural disaster, or an act of violence), or a life change. Everyone feels stress from time to time.
Who suffers from stress the most? ›
A survey conducted in 2022 found that young adults aged between 18 and 24 were more likely to suffer from moderate to severe stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms.
What decade of life is most stressful? ›
Summary: A new study found that life may be more stressful now than it was in the 1990s, especially for people between the ages of 45 and 64. If life feels more stressful now than it did a few decades ago, you're not alone.
What is the life events stress scale? ›
What Is the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale? The Holmes and Rahe stress scale is a list of 43 stressful life events that can contribute to illness. The scale is used by health care professionals to help identify whether a person is experiencing a high amount of stress.
What major is the most stressful? ›
Most Stressful College Majors
- Neuroscience. The bachelor's degree in neuroscience has an interdisciplinary approach that combines STEM (e.g., computer science) and health (e.g., medicine and psychology). ...
- Biochemistry. ...
- Fine Arts. ...
- Physics. ...
- Cell and Molecular Biology. ...
- Legal Studies. ...
- Chemistry. ...
- Philosophy.
