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Work and money leading causes of stress: survey

A new study into stress levels has revealed almost two thirds of Australians have lost sleep during the past year due to stress.

The Lifeline 2013 stress poll found work was the major cause of stress – with 78 per cent of respondents reporting stress at work – followed by stress related to finances, with 71 per cent suffering from stress caused by money woes.

In response to the results of the study, Lifeline is advocating a Stress Down Day to take place on Friday, July 26.

The event is to encourage people to reflect on their lives and causes of stress as well as engage in some self-care.

Local clinical psychologist Unami Magwenzi said she thought the Stress Down Day was a fantastic initiative, but warned against using the word stress as a blanket term.

“Stress is usually how people present but usually there are a lot of underlying things,” she said.

Ms Magwenzi said about one third of her local clients would tell her they were stressed because of work.

“I wouldn’t say work was the most direct cause of stress, but it is the most indirect cause,” she said.

“With work comes a whole load of other issues, for example I know in Hedland you get a lot of people who do fly-in, fly-out and shift work, and because of that there is a direct impact on the family dynamic.”

She said people needed to get better at seeking help for stress and identifying what was causing stress in their lives.

“Most people won’t go to see a doctor, especially men, until it’s too late,” she said.

“So by the time they go to the doctor because of work stress they’ve kind of ‘had it’.”

According to Ms Magwenzi people needed to identify what was causing stress and also what gave them strength.

“The key to controlling stress is feeling that one has a level of control,” she said.

“Life is life and it will always happen, we can’t change what happens from the outside, but we can change how we respond to it.”

To find out more about managing stress and how to participate in Stress Down Day visit www.stressdown.org.au.