Despite your best efforts, some situations are just too stressful to handle on your own. It is never a bad idea to ask for professional help with stress. Having an objective third party to talk to and get feedback from can be an important part of your support system.
If you’re wondering where to find help, start at your workplace. Many employers offer confidential employee assistance programs. If your organisation doesn’t offer these types of programmes, look online for local mental health services or hotlines in your area.
It makes sense that large events will cause large amounts of stress. However, several small stress-causing events that happen in close proximity can cause exponential amounts of stress. For example, imagine a month marked by these events: getting in a fender-bender, making a significant mistake at work, having an argument with your spouse, and coming down with a bad cold. You could probably cope with each individual event as it happened.
Now, imagine if all of these events happened in the space of a few days. Your stress level would be much higher, and you would probably find it far more difficult to cope. Think of the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Remember, different things are stressful to different people. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness; it is a mark of intelligence and strength.