According to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, stress, in general, is “a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation.” One type of stress is job stress. With job stress, the stressors involved are work-related.

Causes of Job Stress

If you can figure out the cause of your job stress, then you can find a treatment. Here are some possible causes:

• Overwork: working late, taking work home, not taking vacation
• Impending layoffs
• Being in the wrong career
• Conflict with boss or co-workers

Early Warning Signs*

If you catch symptoms early, you have a better chance of fixing the problem so you don't end up with more chronic and serious problems. Here's what to look out for:

• Job dissatisfaction
• Sleep disturbances
• Short temper
• Upset stomach
• Headache
• Disturbed relationships with family and friends
• Low morale
• Teeth grinding
• Increased use of drugs or alcohol

Long-Term Problems

If left untreated, job stress can lead to some serious problems. They are:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Musculoskeletal disorders
• Psychological disorders

Treatments

You'll need to be proactive if you want to treat your job stress. Here are some fixes that address the causes listed above.

• If overwork is your problem, take a vacation, leave work on time as often as possible, and avoid taking work home.
• If you're worried about layoffs, all you can do is make sure you're prepared should that happen.
• If you find that you made the wrong career choice, or your career is no longer fulfilling, it may be time for a change. Make your choices carefully.
• If you are having conflicts with your boss or co-workers, try to work them out. Although it may be difficult to resolve personality differences, you can try to figure out a way to get along better.
• If your stress is having a profound effect on your life, don't be afraid to get professional help.

Teenagers, like adults, may experience stress everyday and can benefit from learning stress management skills.

Most teens experience more stress when they perceive a situation as dangerous, difficult, or painful and they do not have the resources to cope.

Some sources of stress for teens might include:

• school demands and frustrations
• negative thoughts and feelings about themselves
• changes in their bodies
• problems with friends
• unsafe living environment/neighborhood
• separation or divorce of parents
• chronic illness or severe problems in the family
• death of a loved one
• moving to a new community
• changing schools
• taking on too many activities or having too high expectations
• family financial problems

Some teens become overloaded with stress.  When it happens, inadequately managed stress can lead to anxiety, withdrawal, aggression, physical illness, or poor coping skills such as drug and/or alcohol use.

When we perceive a situation as difficult or painful, changes occur in our minds and bodies to prepare us to respond to danger.  This "fight, flight, or freeze" response includes faster heart and breathing rate, increased blood to muscles of arms and legs, cold or clammy hands and feet, upset stomach and/or a sense of dread.

The same mechanism that turns on the stress response can turn it off.  As soon as we decide that a situation is no longer dangerous, changes can occur in our minds and bodies to help us relax and calm down.  This "relaxation response" includes decreased heart and breathing rate and a sense of well being.

Teens who develop a "relaxation response" and other stress management skills feel less helpless and have more choices when responding to stress.

Parents can help their teen in these ways:

• Monitor if stress is affecting teen's health, behavior, thoughts, or feelings.
• Listen carefully to teens and watch for overloading.
• Learn and model stress management skills.
• Support involvement in sports and other pro-social activities.

Teens can decrease stress with the following behaviors and techniques:

• Exercise and eat regularly.
• Avoid excess caffeine intake, which can increase feelings of anxiety and agitation.
• Don't use illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
• Learn relaxation exercises (abdominal breathing and muscle relaxation techniques).
• Develop assertiveness training skills.  For example, state feelings in polite, firm, and not overly aggressive or passive ways ("I feel angry when you yell at me" "Please stop yelling").
• Rehearse and practice situations, which cause stress.  One example is taking a speech class, if talking in front of a class makes you anxious.
• Learn practical coping skills.  For example, break a large task into smaller, more attainable tasks.
• Decrease negative self-talk.  Challenge negative thoughts about yourself with alternative neutral or positive thoughts. "My life will never get better" can be transformed into "I may feel hopeless now, but my life will probably get better if I work at it and get some help."
• Learn to feel good about doing a competent job rather than demanding perfection from yourself and others.
• Take a break from stressful situations.  Activities like listening to music, talking to a friend, drawing, writing, or spending time with a pet can reduce stress.
• Build a network of friends who help you cope in a positive way.

By using these and other techniques, teenagers can begin to manage stress.

What you need to know:
Pregnancy is a stressful time for many women. You may be feeling happy, sad and scared—all at the same time. It’s okay to feel like you do. Very high levels of stress may contribute to preterm birth or low birthweight in full-term babies, however, so you should try to learn how to cope with it.

What you can do:
Recognize that you do indeed feel stressed. Accepting the fact you are stressed and identifying the situations that cause you stress are the first steps in helping reduce it. You can also help reduce your stress by:

• Eating regularly and nutritiously and drinking lots of water.
• Resting when you can—and when your body needs it.
• Exercising (with your health care provider’s okay).
• Relaxing by meditating, listening to music or writing in a journal.
• Resisting any urges to drink alcohol, smoke or take herbal products or drugs (except those prescribed by your health care provider).
• Staying away from stressful people and stressful situations, when possible.
• Talking—to your partner, friends, relatives and health care professionals. If you feel overwhelmed, talk with a trained counselor or other mental health professional.
• Going to all your prenatal care appointments. This will give you the reassurance that everything is okay with your baby or let your health care provider know about a problem while there is still time to do something about it. You’ll feel less stressed because you know you are doing the best for your baby.