Little Stress Killers

MSN had an interesting article on men’s little stresses. It stated that men had a number of little stresses that if added up could be a serious health and wellbeing concern. MSN listed the top six reasons little stresses and gave some good general ways of diffusing the stress and some tips. Go give the complete article a read here.

1. Insecurity
Not surprisingly, paying bills, managing debt and sticking to a budget scored highest of all the stressors in our survey. But guess what? It's not about the money, says Thomas Miller, Ph.D., a University of Kentucky psychologist and the author of Handbook of Stressful Life Transitions Across the Lifespan. "Much financial stress actually has to do with uncertainty—about your money situation, yes, but that really means your job. Not knowing specifics about where you stand eats at you like acid."

2. Hair loss
More than half the men in our poll felt stressed about their images, and many specified hair loss as the mane, er, main culprit. They're not alone: A 2005 Mayo Clinic Proceedings review cites multiple studies showing that male pattern baldness negatively affects men's feelings of attractiveness and body image. "For those guys who are feeling judged by their hair loss, the stress is very real," Good says.

3. Exercise
How's this for a bitter irony: Exercise is a well-known stress buster, yet nearly a third of the men in our poll rated sticking to an exercise program a 7 or higher on a 10-point stress scale. First, you stress about missing a workout or not exercising at all. Second, as you attempt to carve out time to exercise, your stress skyrockets as you cram in all the other things you need to accomplish that day. "That struggle may affect how and what you're eating," Miller says, "and now your food intake becomes a stressor."

4. Co-managing the cash
Financial stress can be much worse for men when they're in a relationship, because a man's view of the situation is often different from a woman's. "Sometimes the views are diametrically opposed," says Jay Zagorsky, Ph.D., an Ohio State University economist. His research, published in the Journal of Socio-Economics, found that men tended to report much higher values for assets, such as a home or car, while women inflated debt totals. (Estimates of income and net worth varied, too.) This also shows that couples often don't know how much money they have, or won't talk about money honestly, Good says. "They refuse to address it because it's awkward or embarrassing or there's so much baggage that they don't want to bring it up," he says. Stress builds until the two of you collide over something like spending habits or large purchases. Then it explodes.

5. Your team
One in four men in our poll rated watching their team lose a 7 or higher on the stress scale. Research shows that the deeper our dedication to a team or a player, the more likely we are to transform emotional reactions into hostility—and that anger takes a toll on your health big time. You rip open the sofa pillow, your day turns sour and friends and family hide. Miller, who's also a sports psychologist, knows the feeling: He's a Cincinnati Reds fan.

6. Morons
One guy summed up the problem in two words: "stupid people." Simply living your life means dealing with inconsiderate people, crappy service and the general cloggers of society's arteries. Remember, Miller says, you can't influence them: "You see that these people aren't making the best decisions and think you can do better. As a result, you feel less in control, and that's a serious hidden stressor."