Are Daily Hassles Making You Sick?

When you think of big stress, you probably think of major life-disrupting events: a job loss, a gravely ill parent or friend, a case of identity theft, a significant financial loss. But sometimes, big stressors can come in little packages: the juice glass that broke at breakfast, the weeds gathering in the front flowerbed, the phone call you need to make to your mother.

Sure, little day-to-day hassles such as these are not monumental and probably don't feel extremely stressful. Individually, they certainly don't weigh heavily in the grand scheme of overall emotional well-being.

But could those little daily stresses hamper your health or even make you vulnerable to serious illness and disease? Research says maybe so.

An Ugly Cycle

Recent studies suggest that, taken together, minor hassles and annoyances from everyday life may be the biggest stressor of all.

These mini stressors mount as they become part of a daily routine, and because days tend to mirror days, whatever little hassle tugged at you one day is likely to repeat on another day. Eventually, all those overdue phone calls and all those annoying little accidents and all those unfinished household tasks can add up to major, chronic stress.

Are minor stresses getting the best of you? Take this quick quiz for a better idea.

Daily Life Equilibrium Calculator

As you reflect on a typical day, look over the following list, print it out, and then rate on a scale of 0 to 3 how much aggravation or satisfaction the below items contributed to your stress level. Keep in mind that some items may be sources of both aggravation and satisfaction. You must write down an answer for each item on both the "aggravation" and "satisfaction" sides.

0 = None or not applicable
1 = A little bit
2 = Quite a bit
3 = A great deal