When a man arrives home, he relaxes, but a woman must find extra energy because more responsibilities await her, writes DR BRIGID MONDA
Stress is a 20th century syndrome born out of the pace of our modern life, which constantly urges us to ‘go now’, ‘do now’, ‘see now’, ‘buy now’, but we end up ‘burnt out’ and ‘stressed out’.
This has a direct impact on our health, leading to numerous doctors’ visits, accidents on the job and on our roads and a high job turnover.
Women are particularly vulnerable to stress-related illnesses because they are natural caregivers and automatically take on responsibilities that most men wouldn’t ever consider.
Women are also more often less likely to be in positions of power and are, therefore, not able to control what’s going on in their lives as most men can. This increases their stress levels, especially when they don’t see any way out.
Many women with careers have set a ‘male’ standard for achievement at work with the old-fashioned female standard for perfection at home. A man is able to go home and relax after a hard days work but many women on the other hand, go home after an equally hard day’s work in the office and keep on working because of their traditional roles. One may delegate to a nanny but ultimately, the woman is still in charge and because of this, women are constantly working overtime and so end up stressed.
DEALING WITH STRESS
Stress is any type of physical, emotional or psychological change and may be healthy or unhealthy stress. Healthy stress motivates, energises and stimulates your brain but the wrong kind of stress impedes your productivity.
When stressed, your brain will switch your body into emergency ‘fight or flight’ because it can’t distinguish between healthy or unhealthy stress.
The stress hormones adrenalin and cortisol are released as your body prepares to take flight or defend itself. Your system is designed to return to normal once the stress is gone but in our times of chronic stress, this doesn’t happen. Instead, your body remains in its ‘flight or fight’ mode and this daily regimen of racing heartbeat, pulsing blood, tensed muscles, undigested food stuck in your stomach, and the high hormones levels causes all kinds of health problems.
For instance back pain, muscle tension, headaches, trembling sweaty, cold hands, diaorrhea, constipation, recurring colds due to a reduced immunity, ringing in the ears, skin rashes, loss of appetite and in the long-term high blood pressure and ulcers.
People are biologically ‘wired’ to react differently to stress so you are your own best weapon in defending yourself against stress and its related illness by listening and not ignoring the signals your body is sending: Talk about it to and you may find that you are not alone. Trying to sort out all of your problems alone may be a fruitless task because in isolation you can lose perspective.
Allow yourself regular leisure time. Take a magazine into the bathroom, fill the tub, pour in some bath salts climb in, and relax. Daydream a little each day.
Improve on your sex life because you have a lot to gain, and only stress to lose!
