Life events can play a big part in causing stress. They don't have to be big negative events such as getting a divorce or a spouse dying but also normally good events such as holidays or getting married can also be stressful.

Holmes and Rahe (1967) studied into life events as a source of stress. They had noticed that certain life events in their patients, which seemed to be associated with stress and poor health. They noticed that these events in particular could be characterised as those that involved change from a steady state, such as getting divorced or moving house. However they also noticed that positive events, such as getting married, seemed to be associated with stress in their patients. They suggested that the changes associated with major life events absorb psychic energy, leaving...