Stress is an unfortunate fact of life. And some of the things that can cause you to feel stressed on any given day (like rush hour traffic) just can’t be avoided.

Do you have a job? Then you have to deal with getting reports done on time, pleasing the boss, and getting along with unpleasant coworkers.

Do you go to school? Then you have to deal with doing school work, peer pressure, and maybe holding down a part time job so you will have spending money.

And family can be pretty stressful too. You have to take care of the kids, stay on top of everyone’s schedules, and keep promises you made to relatives.

Yes, life is filled with stressers. But there are some major causes of stress that we can control.

Too Many Commitments

You wake up in the morning, think about your day, and want to go right back to bed. Why? Because you just remembered the ten or twelve things you have to do today. And many of those things are commitments you made to other people, even though you knew you already had too much on your plate.

A lot of stress comes from making too many commitments, and promising to take on more than you have time for.

This is why learning to say “No,” is an important part of managing stress. Learn not to take on more than you can handle at any given time.

Money Troubles

Money troubles are a major cause of stress. In fact, many divorcing couples name financial problems as one of the biggest strains on their relationships.

How much time do you spend worrying about your debt? Does thinking about the credit card bills that will be arriving in the next few weeks keep you awake at night? If so, this is a problem you need to deal with.

Of course, you probably won’t be able to get rid of a major debt overnight. But, sometimes, just taking a single step to do something about your money problems (like making an appointment to see a debt counselor) can be enough to dramatically decrease your financial stress.

Lack of Down Time

Busy people who take time out to relax and unwind are often less stressed than those who are just as busy, and do the exact same amount of work, but don’t take any down time.

When your life is busy, and there are dozens of things you need to do, taking a break can almost make you feel guilty. But taking breaks will actually help you get more done, and feel better while you’re doing it.

Having a completely stress free existence is probably out of your reach. But these are just a few of the things you can do to take control of, and drastically reduce, some of the major causes of stress in your life.