Symptoms of Stress in Women

Can you guess who are the biggest “stress stuffers”?  If you guessed “women”—you’re either a woman or very insightful!  Women are historically much more likely to disregard symptoms of stress than men.  In today’s society, the terms “women” and “stress” are synonymous.  Consider this—women most often manage the household, have full-time careers, are the primary nurturer to their families.  It’s only natural that after fulfilling these roles, there’s little, if any, time or energy left over to focus on personal needs.

In fact, in this day and time, the majority of us are sadly used to “running on empty” and leading constantly stressed-out lives.  Stress becomes the “norm” that we accept as a “fact of life”.  We are incapable of relaxing and can’t remember how it feels to live stress free.

Serious problems often arise when stress reaches unmanageable levels.  Burn-out and depression lift their ugly heads and we start suffering physical ailments such as aches, pains, headaches and stomach disorders—the fact is, the stress has to go somewhere.

When these symptoms of stress begin to appear, high blood pressure and possibly even a heart attack may not be far behind—unless we address the stress and find healthy productive ways to alleviate it.

The tricky part for most women is that we’ve lived with stress for so long, that we don’t recognize that stress is the root of our problems.  We must learn to get back in touch with our bodies and emotions and learn how to tame the stress in our lives.

Instead of getting mad but keeping it to yourself, it’s very important that you find a way to release it in small amounts.  This will help deter the damage of the stress that tries to infiltrate your body and mind.  If you feel overwhelmed, shed some tears, head to the gym for a workout, grab a glass of wine and head for a hot bubble bath.

It’s okay to cry and get angry or express your anxiety to someone you love.  You’re not a robot – you’re a human who needs an outlet for your stress.  If you have no one to turn to, turn to yourself!  Journal your emotions at the end of each day and leave your stress in the pages of your diary so it doesn’t come back to haunt you with your health.

Symptoms of stress can be alleviated when we take the time to identify the problem and take action to address the stress!