Except for major catastrophes, few events are stressful in themselves. Stress arises when you perceive a situation as threatening. For example, your morning commute may make you anxious and tense because you worry that traffic will make you late. Others, however, may find the trip relaxing because they allow more than enough time and enjoy playing music or listening to books while they drive.

Stress is often associated with situations that you find difficult to handle. How you view things also affects your stress level. If you have very high expectations, chances are you'll experience more than your fair share of stress.

Broadly speaking, there are two sources of stress, external and internal. External sources of stress are those that we have no control over. Stress can also come from within, from things we can control.

External
    * the state of the world, the country, or any community to which you belong
    * unpredictable events
    * the environment in which you live or work
    * work itself
    * family
   
Internal
    * irresponsible behavior
    * poor health habits
    * negative attitudes and feelings
    * unrealistic expectations
    * perfectionism

In today's ever increasingly hectic life, it is far too easy to slip into a stress spiral where the lines between Internal and External stress factors blur.