Introduction
This blog post is about circumstantial stress. In it you’ll learn about the meaning, causes, and management of circumstantial stress. Learning more about it is important because you’re probably experiencing it. If you are experiencing circumstantial stress, you’re not alone. Many of us are struggling with this form of stress because it’s rampant. So, keep reading, and you’ll learn about what it is, what causes it, and what you can do to manage it.
The Meaning of Circumstantial Stress
Threats to Our Safety
Here’s the meaning of circumstantial stress: Circumstantial stress is our response to living in circumstances where we see no end coming soon to threats to our safety. Every day, many of us see or hear about threats to our own safety and the safety of others in our country. Many see and hear about it on the news and social media, and from friends, family members, coworkers, and strangers.
Powerless to Do Anything
Besides seeing no end to the threats in sight, we often feel powerless to do anything about our stressful circumstances. They’re bigger than we are.
They’re bigger than we are because our circumstances are spheres of influence beyond our power to change. For example, our circumstances are beyond our power at local, county, regional, state, national, hemispherical, and planetary levels. And what happens in all these spheres directly affects each one of us.
Causes of Circumstantial Stress
The spheres of influence that threaten our safety and are beyond our power to change cause our circumstantial stress. Potential and perceived threats to our safety due to our circumstances cause stress. Some current causes of stress include, but aren’t limited to—
- Governmental, economic, military, and law enforcement corruption
- Increases in executive power that point toward autocratic rule
- False accusations of stolen elections
- Increased prices for food, gas, electricity, water, healthcare and other essentials of life
- Reports of war crimes
- Attacks of the press and fake reports about the news
- Exonerations of convicted criminals
- Wars that threaten the lives of military personnel and their families here and abroad
- Environmental pollution of water, air, and the earth; destruction of habitats; extinction of species; fires and other natural disasters
- Poor quality and lack of access to healthcare
- Blatant violations of civil and human rights
- Increased violent racism and attacks
- Unknown numbers of U.S. citizens being wrongly deported
- Legal immigrants being detained in horrible conditions or deported to foreign countries
- Domestic abuse and neglect
- Increased discrimination against minorities
- Educational decline, school violence, neglect of children’s needs
- Increased workplace and online violence as well as burnout due to workplace stress
Management of Circumstantial Stress
It can be hard to know what to do about circumstantial threats to our lives because most of the causes are out of our control. We have very little power over what’s happening in broader spheres of circumstances. That said, there are some things we can do to manage circumstantial stress and take good care of ourselves and each other.
Limit your exposure to news reports.
This is a great place to start managing circumstantial stress. Stay informed about what’s going on in the spheres that are beyond your power to control. Do this by staying informed about the headlines without becoming deeply absorbed into the news. Stay informed by reading or listening to the news on your phone or smart speaker. Minimize watching it on TV or your electronic devices.
Learn and practice self-regulation skills.
These are among the first skills I teach my clients and would be happy to share them with you. Clients especially appreciate simple first aid stress management skills like “Smell the Flower, Blow Out the Candle.” They also find “Heart-Smiling” and “Living in Balance and Harmony” very effective for managing circumstantial stress. I’d be glad to teach you these skills.
Pause for Beauty.
This is another practice clients find helpful for circumstantial stress management. It’s simple. Pause and intentionally look at and listen to beautiful things. Take a walk and look at the shapes of clouds in the sky and different types of birds you see. Notice the flowers you see. Pause for a moment and smell them. Listen to birds singing and the sound of the wind blowing. Feel the wind on your face and in your hair. On rainy days and during thunderstorms, look out the window and watch the rain and listen to the thunder. Take a break and listen to some relaxing music or alpha waves on your smart speaker or phone. Music calms your spirit and lifts your mood.
Connect with others.
Talk with your partner, family members, friends, co-workers, and others. Stay updated on what’s going on in each other’s lives. If you have the time, volunteer for a cause that’s meaningful to you. By volunteering, you can make a positive difference amid all the circumstantial stress affecting us.
Most importantly:
To manage your circumstantial stress, breathe deep breaths to relax and calm your spirit, body, and mind. Drink plenty of water to improve blood and oxygen circulation. Minimize alcohol, sugar, caffeine, and carbs. They can increase your vulnerability to circumstantial and other types of stress. They can also increase your vulnerability to multiple types of anxiety, depression, and anger. You’re better without those.
Summary and Call to Action
If you read this far, thanks! I hope you found it helpful. If you’d like to learn more about the meaning, causes, and management of circumstantial stress, CLICK HERE and schedule a FREE 30-Minute Online Initial Consult. I’d be happy to talk with you and learn how I can help.