Stress is part of human life because people encounter frustrations daily at the workplace and at home. Although there is real evidence of what triggers different types of stress, there are instances when people get stressed out without concrete reasons. In most instances, the stress is self-imposed, and people do not realize they are in control. We often find ourselves thinking about something a lot, while in the actual sense, it is not even a real problem. For instance, an employee may get worried that she leaves work earlier than her boss every evening even though there is no problem with that because she is not committing any offense. Worrying about such things elevates negative thoughts that are less important, which further makes it difficult to deal with the actual stresses. The approach people take in dealing with their pasts shapes their self-esteem and attitude towards life. Consequently, it is common to subconsciously feel anxious about situations that should not be stressful.
It is easier to deal with stresses contributed by real situations compared to those that are self-inflicted. For instance, if finance is my cause of stress, I will endeavor to learn how I can budget my funds to avoid related tension. On the other hand, self-imposed stress is difficult to handle because the causes are false and unique to oneself. Consequently, what I would do to eliminate the fake stressors is understand their origin and assess whether they are worth my attention. For example, feeling guilty for leaving before my boss could be due to the fact that I want to please him or her. The solution is to accept that I am not committing any offense by leaving work as per the company rules. If I left earlier than the stipulated time, then it would be worth my guilt. Fake stressors are caused by imaginary fears that can be eliminated by compartmentalizing one’s thoughts to distinguish actual situations from false ones.