Do Women React To Stress Differently Than Men?
It certainly feels terrible to be stressed,
but the effects of this terrible malady on the body are so much more
than just unpleasant. The physiological effects of stress on the human
body range from hair loss to serious health conditions like hypertension
and depression, no wonder psychologists and doctors alike take it so
seriously.
But you probably knew all that already. What you might have not known,
however, is that stress manifests itself differently in men and women.
In this article, we will focus on the symptoms of stress in women, and
then we will discuss how to treat it without going to therapy or taking
antidepressants.
How Is Stress Different In Women?
We know that stress is our body’s reaction to danger, both immediate and
chronic. A 2000 study revealed that women and men may have a different
reaction and sensitivity to stress.
While men usually react to stress by the “fight or flight” response,
women tend to do the opposite: instead of fleeing from the dangerous
situation, they try to react to the dangerous situation by forming bonds
with other people, which got the nickname “tend or befriend” response.
This difference in sexes is suggested to be an evolutionary development,
as in the distant past, women were the primary caregivers and had to
provide for their children first, whereas men were the hunters who
usually had to react fast in a dangerous situation.
Whether or not this theory is true, we know that, on average, women are
more stressed than men, which suggests that they are more susceptible to
the adverse effects of stress.
These adverse effects are both physiological and mental, and can be categorized into the following 7 categories:
1. Stomach Issues
Many women report that they either lose
appetite or start eating more (usually junk and comfort foods) when
they’re stressed. This may change, too: one situation can upset your
stomach, whereas another can make you eat more.
Irrespective of the changes in diet, the most common stomach issues caused by stress are:
Bloating
Bloating
cramps
Heartburn
Changes in weight
A 2017 study in the journal Frontiers in
System Neuroscience even suggested that stress can cause irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS).
2. Heart problems
2. Heart problems
Chronic stress raises the amount of
adrenaline and cortisol in blood, both of which are hormones associated
with hypertension. This can have a negative effect on the cardiovascular
system and may contribute to stroke and heart attack.
Also, some studies associate stress with changes in blood clotting, which also increases the risk of a heart attack.
3. Skin reactions
3. Skin reactions
Your skin, hair and nails are especially
sensitive to stress. This is likely because of the hormonal changes due
to stress, and every woman who ever had a hormonal breakout knows very
well what hormones can do to the skin. The most-common skin reactions
include:
Acne
Rosacea and psoriasis flare-ups
Hives or rash
Hair loss
Brittle nails
Luckily, the symptoms of these conditions tend to subside when the
stressful period is over, but do take into account that you will have to
take better care of your skin and use gentle and non-irritating skin
care products when you know you're stressed.
4. Disrupted Sleep
Consistently high levels of cortisol in the blood, a signature feature
of chronic stress, affect the so-called HPA loop, which is a
relationship between the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the
adrenal gland.
Unfortunately, the same loop controls our sleep cycles, so when you're
stressed and the HPA loop is too active, you often feel tired, yet
unable to fall asleep. Furthermore, even the quality of sleep decreases
as the transition between the various sleep cycles is disrupted.
5. Emotional Disturbances
Chronic stress can cause a variety of emotional disturbances and even
mental illness:
Anxiety
Depression
Irritability
Mood swings
Compulsive behavior (such as addiction).
As alarming as it may sound, there is even a study that showed that
higher levels of anger are commonly linked to both mental stress and
even the likelihood of a stress-related heart attack.
stress in women depression
6. Difficulty Concentrating and Memory
Issues
Researchers found that certain hormones secreted after a stressful event
can potentially impair memory and concentration. Also, an animal study
found that stressed rats had more memory issues than the non-stressed
control group.
The same is suggested to occur in humans, as many patients report that
they have difficulties focusing or remembering important information
when they're stressed.
7. Lowered Immunity
The American Psychological Association suggests that stressful events
and negative emotional experiences can take a toll on your immune
system, which can make you more susceptible to a cold, but also to any
other infectious disease.
They conclude that managing stress is crucial for you to regain your
ability to fight off germs. The next section is exactly about that, the
most basic lifestyle change you can make to be less stressed.
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How To Deal With Stress
Therapy and medications can certainly get you through a stressful period
in your life, but the following changes in lifestyle can also
significantly improve your stress symptoms:
1. Improve your diet
When you’re stressed out and you have no time to do anything, you’re
more likely to settle for a snack or junk food instead of a healthy and
nutritious meal.
You have to resist this urge and try to improve your diet, include more
leafy greens and colorful vegetables in your diet, as in the past years
there is more and more scientific evidence suggesting that a healthy
diet can help you fight anxiety and depression, and, certainly, stress.
2. Make time for exercise
When you exercise and spend more time outdoors, your brain releases
chemicals associated with happiness and wellbeing, such as the
neurochemical oxytocin, the levels of which drop dramatically during
stressful periods in your life.
So, lift your mood while you’re getting in shape by normalizing your
oxytocin levels.
3. Find fun ways to relax
Women often seek connection and meaning in life when they feel stressed,
and what your gut tells you is exactly what you should do, in this
case.
Distracting yourself by doing activities that require a lot of
concentration is another effective method of fighting off stress, as
reported in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry in 2017.
So, find or rediscover your old hobby, participate in engaging
conversations with family and friends and just do something meaningful.
4. Hugs
Let’s end our list of recommendations on a happy note and with a non-trivial tip. It turns out that hugs, especially long hugs lasting up to 20 seconds, may have the same effect on your brain as a morning jog, as reported in a 2018 study. Like exercise, hugs raise the levels of oxytocin in blood, which may just be enough to compensate for that stressful day at work.
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