Stress: Causes, Consequences, and the Critical Need for Proactive Management

Causes of Stress

There are a variety of factors that can cause stress to different individuals. Stress can be caused by these factors;

Internal causes

Some people have very high expectations. They want to be professionals in all fields of life. They want to be rich, perfect in their professions. This causes insomnia, body and mental stress. They want to run before they learn to walk.

In case of failure to achieve the above, the person lives in fear, anxiety and sees himself/herself as a failure. He/she believes the future is bleak for him/her.

External causes

Some workers are overloaded with work by their employers. They spend long hours and also carry some of their homes. Some people have very poor working conditions. Sometimes these overworked persons are underpaid. When workers are underpaid, they suffer from various forms of financial difficulties and instability. These factors cause stress to the workers.

Apart from stress at workplaces, some people have relational difficulties either with their bosses, colleagues or in their homes. Some people work and come home only at weekends or even at the end of the month.

Lifestyle causes.

Every individual needs to know how to manage time, know priorities at home and at work. Workers must not spend the whole day sitting. The body needs exercise. Walk around your office space or go out of the office for a break or lunch.

The choice of what to eat matters very much. It is good to avoid any diet high in sugar, caffeine, or processed food. When these are well managed, stress would be less. The worker also needs sufficient sleep. When older adults prioritize sleep, they maintain their physical and mental health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases and improve their overall quality of life.

Sleep helps the bodies of older adults to repair and rejuvenate themselves from pain. It also helps the immune system to fight some illnesses, infections and diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart attack, or stroke. It is good to establish a regular time to sleep and also to live in a less noisy environment.

Sleep is very important for the mental health of retirees. Sleep helps older adults to fight loss of memory, stress, depression and anxiety. It improves the quality of life for all human beings. It helps older adults not to feel dizzy or easily fall. Older adults are advised to avoid the consumption of alcoholic drinks, heavy meals or caffeine in the evenings before bedtime.

Other external causes of stress include caregiving. It’s very stressful to care for a patient. It may be at home or in the hospital. The caregiver suffers from mental and physical stress. Some caregivers have either lost a lot of body weight or died before or after the patient’s recovery or death. Prolonged illness also causes stress. When the patient fails to get better or dies, this causes stress to both the patient and the caregivers.

Financial Concerns. A change in income causes financial instability. In Cameroon and many African countries, there has never been any increment in pension benefits when salaries are increased. Inflation rates and economic crises affect everyone, including retirees. The government, through the National Social Insurance Fund (NSIF), need to adjust the income of retirees because of inflation and rise in the cost and standard of living (Nde&Fonyoh, 2020:50). Those in active services may take up part-time jobs to augment their pay packages, but retirees are helpless. So the standard of living for retirees would often be on the decline as the cost of living rises. Some retirees establish reserve accounts in creditable banks before their retirement. This is different from the pension package that comes from the social security scheme of the state. It was traditionally believed that the younger generations would support their elderly family members. However, things have changed. There is more individualism than togetherness today. Some retirees feel isolated and frustrated, as this generation does not believe that “One good turn deserves another.”

Your children and others whom you sponsored in schools may give priority to sponsoring their own children and others. They too have their own challenges. Support from family members nowadays is not a sure source of social security. Do not, therefore, take them as your life insurance. Receive any financial support from them as a surprise.

Although it is advisable to stop making children while on retirement, some retirees have to financially support their grandchildren whose parents died from HIV/AIDS, known to my people as foreign disease or other incurable diseases. Some parents may still be alive but are unemployed.

Another cause of financial stress occurs for those who have no retirement house. It is unwise to engage in undertake a big building project while in retirement. Retirees should have their retirement home while in active service. If the older adult spent his/her money sponsoring family children in schools, younger family members should show more love to the living than wait for them to die, then they are given decent burials. This has a negative impact and causes stress and depression to the retiree.

Health Issues: Ageing comes with declining health. The retiree has to bear unexpected expenses such as medical bills and contributions for bereavements. The inadequate access to healthcare facilities, little or no healthcare insurance coverage, are factors that can lead to frustration and unhappiness or depression for retirees. The cost of living keeps rising and causes the standard of living for the retiree to drop, as there are no increments in pension benefits. Poverty rate among the elderly and unemployed people in Cameroon in particular and Africa in general keeps rising (Angyie-Oteh 2012:13).Many retirees do not have the physical ability to work harder so as to meet up with the rising cost of living. These challenges bring worries and stress to the retiree. Stress makes the level of every disease worse.
Change in relationships. Some retirees have to stay away from their spouses who refuse to relocate to the rural areas. Some retirees who are widows fear to relocate to rural areas due to superstition. Some people often accuse elderly women of witchcraft that they killed their husbands in order to inherit their wealth. Relocating to somewhere else may mean that the retiree will no longer be together with his/her former colleagues and friends. While making new friends, they strive to maintain old ones. On a positive note some retirees become mediators in conflict management or join decision making bodies such as councils. The retiree has to face people of different mindsets from those whom he/she was used to.
Loss of position of honor. The retiree is no longer the boss or patron. Therefore, respect for the retiree may diminish drastically. Former subordinates will no longer give him/her the same respect especially if he/she used to be a dictator. Reserved seats are no longer kept at the high table for him/her. While in active service we are advised to be good to all colleagues; friends or foes.
Uncertainty about the future. The retiree may enjoy relaxation and socialization for some time due to the fact that his/her financial parting gift is still handy. When one has money many fair weather friends are attracted to the one. In spite of this, the fear of the unknown remains internally. The retiree has many unanswered questions in mind such as how long will I live? How am I going to fill 12 hours with fruitful activities? However the retiree should not hesitate to seek counsel whenever need be.

It is good to be proactive and address some of these stressors while still in active service and in the early years of retirement. It is also good to learn financial and time management and be self-disciplined so as to use your money and time well. Gradual engagement in physical exercises is good for retirees.

Effects of stress

There are various effects of stress depending on individual circumstances and changes in the society. The former lifestyle of the retiree may also affect his/her retirement. As every individual is unique, not everyone is affected in the same way. Some of the common effects include:

a). Physical health issues. The older we become, the more our health problems and medical bills increase. The older one grows, the physically weak one becomes. Stress weakens the immune system of the retiree and exposes him/her to various diseases and infections. When stress becomes chronic and overwhelms the retiree, it will lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and heart diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. The retiree needs to have house maid(s) and health care giver(s). Who foots the bills of the house maids and health care givers? This surely leads to financial stress as it becomes difficult to live within his/her means.

It is a significant challenge when as retiree lives an uncomfortable life. This calls for self-discipline. The negative effect of physical health affects everyone although to varying degrees. This increases the risk of early mortality. Siedle (2020:61) states that every retiree who dies unexpectedly deserves an autopsy to determine the cause of the retiree’s exit.

Some people retire and still engage themselves in new employments. This surely brings in additional income. The retiree has to be cautious not to take up a heavy work load which can break him/her down physically and psychologically. I recognize the fact that idleness during retirement has its own disadvantages. The retiree has to be careful not to solve the problem of financial insecurity and create many other problems.

b) Mental health. Chronic stress can increase or contribute to the development of anxiety and depression. When retirees relocate to the rural area or to where the cost of living is less, adaptation is not easy. Out of frustration, some retirees engage in unhealthy lifestyle such as excessive consumption of alcohol, smoking, or even drug addiction. Some do not care about the type of meals they take as they move from one local occasion to another.

The mindset of the local people will differ from his/hers greatly. The retiree may be isolated, disrespected or adored. A retired security officer once begged for a glass of “shaa” in a local liquor bar. After he was given the shaa, the giver said, “Time is soon coming when officers will hunt for rat mules in place of beef.” The officer felt insulted and humiliated.

It is very important for retirees to prioritize their physical and mental health. Those who have access to modern health facilities may live longer than those who live in areas where no good health facilities are available.

c) Cognitive decline. Prolonged stress can affect the retiree’s memory negatively. When this happens the retiree may not be able to make objective decisions, solve problems impartially or read with concentration. This renders the retiree very forgetful.

d). Poor relationships. Chronic stress affects some retirees to transfer blames of their plight to family members, friends, mates and former colleagues. Some retirees become aggressive to anyone who demands money or special favor from them. Chronic poor relationship between couples has far reaching consequences. A good family is the cradle of a good society. The emotional and physical effects of chronic stress must not be taken lightly. Good families make up a good society. When stress is caused by poor marital relationship, the consequences are quite devastating on the peace of the couple in particular and the society in general.

The couple suffers from strained relationship. Nothing is done or said to each other cordially. This may manifest itself in constant conflict, blame game, frustration and domestic violence in various forms. When there is no peace and enjoyment at home, some married persons look for it outside. Stress in marital relationship may lead to conflict, insomnia, infidelity and even divorce. This breakdown in a couple’s relationship will affect the children, in laws and the society at large.

Poor marital relationship affects the mental health of the couples. They become a laughing stock in the neighborhood. This leads to low self esteem. When a negative cycle is created between couples, they see nothing positive in each other. Everyone tries only to retaliate; making things worse and difficult for reconciliation.

A third party is needed to mitigate the consequences otherwise divorce will be inevitable. The family, in laws on both sides and friends need to engage the services of professional counselors. They have to help the family develop unwavering resilience in order to rebuild and strengthen the marital relationship. This calls for cooperation from the couple. It is easier to destroy relationships than to rebuild. “What God has joined together, let no man, woman, conflict or condition put asunder.” (Paraphrased)

Children from the family of poor marital relationship also feel stressed due to prolonged tension and conflict between their parents. The children will emotionally feel sad and depressed due to lack of peace at home. It makes it difficult for the children to associate with others or form and maintain good relationships. The children develop low self-esteem or inferiority complex because their parents are a laughing stock in the society. The children cannot concentrate in studies or at work due to lack of peace of mind. People also feel that such parents cannot raise well-behaved children. People would not want to marry into or from such a home. The children themselves do not give in to marriage proposals because of domestic violence. Parents of such homes should work hard to create stable and loving environment of cordiality. There should be open communication between the children and parents. These efforts will help both parents and children to overcome or minimize stress.

e). Sleep disturbances. Stress brings about the disruption of sleep patterns leading to insomnia. Poverty or unemployment can also cause insomnia. Lack of sleep affects the retiree’s physical and mental health. When a person does not sleep well this tends to also affect his/her digestive system. This may lead to stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome and acid reflux causing a burning sensation in the chest; commonly known as heartburn.

Sleep disturbance or insomnia is not a disease for the brain is in the process of adjusting itself to a new rhythm in life. Do not take sleeping pills. Get more sunbath during the morning and the day. Develop a regular schedule of when to rest or sleep.

f). Unemployment and poverty.

Unemployment and poverty can have significant stress effects on individuals and families. They may be short or long term. But as no condition is permanent, let us consider the effects here. Unemployment and poverty cause strained relationships. Those who are rich or occupy high positions have many friends although some if not most of them may be fair weather friends. The effect of stress brought about by poverty may not only strain friendship ties but also marital cordiality. Poverty makes it difficult for a person to belong to social groups because membership fees are needed. Another effect is risk-taking behavior. Unemployment and poverty can push one to decide to “be rich at all costs”. This takes the one to occultism or armed robbery. Anyone who suffers from the effect of stress in the area of unemployment and poverty has become hopeless. Such a person fails to know that when there is life, there is hope. “Hold unto hope to the end of life”. Unemployment and poverty can stress caregivers to stop their humanitarian services to such people. These effects can be mitigated by professionals, counselors, some Non Governmental Organizations. (NGO).

Long-term effects

Weakened immune system

Chronic stress can easily weaken the immune system. When the immune system is weakened, various illnesses such as headaches, high blood pressure, dizziness, diabetes and palpitation become worse or are aggravated and are a threat to life.

Overcoming stress requires various changes in lifestyle. Do you easily get angry? Do you accumulate grievances? Do you take an overdose of alcoholic drinks as a problem solving strategy? If your answers or responses to the above questions are yes, then the concerned needs radical change in lifestyle. These ills make stress worse.

Dangers of Smoking or Taking Alcoholic Drinks

When the older people understand the risk of taking substances such as alcoholic drinks, and smoking any kind of tobacco, they will improve their overall health and well-being.

Those who smoke face the risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke. Smoking destroys the lungs and can cause cancer of the lungs, mouth, throat, stomach, kidney, bladder and the cervix.

Alcoholic drinks make the consumer to lose balance or stability. The consumer is in danger of falls resulting to fractures. Most people who are heavy drinkers of alcoholic drinks have problems with their memory leading to dementia. Excess consumption of alcoholic drinks can cause colon and liver cancer. Alcohol consumption makes medication less effective.

Smoking and drinking alcoholic drinks are harmful to both young and older persons. It is advisable to quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption. It is good to meet your health care provider to tell you the level your internal organs have been damaged by these substances.