7 Happy Life Events That Commonly Cause Stress

It's an unfortunate paradox that many of life's most momentous occasions are both the best of times and the worst of times. The events that should be some of the most joyful -– getting married, having kids, taking time off work to travel abroad –- can also be the most stress-inducing. Whether it’s the pressure of planning a major event or the anxiety of trying to live up to our own expectations of how happy we should be, once-joyful milestones can easily devolve into anxiety-filled occasions.

Though it may seem counterintuitive for happiness to cause panic, anything that disrupts our daily routine and normal modes of interaction can cause a stress reaction. The body's stress response can be set off by any event that triggers a significant emotional response, throwing off our physical and mental equilibrium -- thereby making a wedding practically as stressful as a divorce and a tropical vacation more anxiety-filled than a hectic week in the office. Click through the slideshow below for 10 pivotal life events that commonly cause stress -- and ways to ways to bring the joy back into your most memorable milestones.