Yes, it’s true. Women usually have more stress and anxiety than men do. In fact, women are twice as likely to have severe stress than men are, and it can be dangerous. Stress and anxiety can lead to family conflicts, insomnia, and even heart problems. Also, signs of high stress are very similar to the antecedent symptoms of a heart attack, so they can be easily misinterpreted anxiety or stress. This shows that high levels of stress in women have been taking place. In a 2016 study, experimenters noticed a large gap between men and women’s stress levels. One key explanation of why women carry more stress is the idea of emotional labor. Made known by Jess Zimmerman in 2015 essay for the toast, she introduces a concept called “surface acting”, which is when women show emotions that they do not completely feel. This can happen in domestic situations, or in workplace settings. After the essay was written, hundreds of women responded, agreed and explained situations they had been in that caused anxiety and stress. The strong agreement from women shows the truth in the paper. Another key factor is domestic work. This is directed at the amount of housework women have to do versus the amount of chores a man has to complete. On average, women do more housework than men do. This can become a major stressor for the woman of the house and is likely to lead to family conflicts. Clearly, both of the above are terrible. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to fight the stress that’s stemming from these problems. First, self-care is very important. Getting good sleep, eating well and exercising are all important to combating stress. Sometimes disconnecting from school or work can help you tune out all the noise, and also let your mind relax for a bit. Think about what causes you stress, and be specific. Be descriptive, not just “school” but a certain teacher or class that is one of your stressors. This helps to truly identify your problems and is the first step to living a less stressful life. You should seek validation. Try to remember that no, you are not crazy, but instead trying to explain the feelings you really have under your calm exterior. If you reach out, you will find people who are also stressed. This will help to make you feel less alienated and lonely. Ms. Li, the subject of this article, is an app developer, and went on to invent an application called self & sanity, a media platform for women, but is more of a free space where you can set personality goals to better yourself. Recently I’ve gotten the app, with my goal being to be more mindful of other people around me. Currently, I am learning meditation to combat my stress. I recommend. Citations: Wong, K. (2018, November 14). There's a Stress Gap Between Men and Women. Here's Why It's Important. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/14/smarter-living/stress-gap-women-men.html?rref=collection/timestopic/Psychology and Psychologists&action=click&contentCollection=health®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=10&pgtype=collection By Laura Russo This is a very insightful article! I enjoyed learning about it and seeing the ways in which women too much stress. I definitely think this is an issue that needs to be resolved. I think that our society should definitely share the burden of chores more equally among men and women. Especially because women are coming home from work to have chores to do. I can see how it feels as though they have two full time jobs and would lead to a lot of stress. Hopefully these issues can be resolved so women don't feel so overwhelmed and prevent health issues. - Alejandro Coury
1 Comment
Tom Zurkan
1/10/2019 11:15:31 am
This was an interesting post. Men and women both experience stress, but I didn't know that women did more so. I can see why however, having to keep emotions bottled up or having to do housework often would put stress on anybody. I liked your suggestions for how to relieve stress as well as they are easy to do.
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Ms. Carrigan's Psych ClassWe have been reading articles about psychological studies to inform the way we live our lives. Please explore, and we hope you learn a bit about the psychology in your life! Categories
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