WOMEN AND ANXIETY

 

The modern-day woman is a mass of jangled nerves as she is under constant stress as she is juggling many roles like being a homemaker, breadwinner, caregiver etc. Having to manage so many roles on a regular basis leads to more stress in women compared to men. Their stress hormones cause a lot of mood swings & anxiety.

First and foremost we must be clear what actually is stress – it can be defined as the trash of modern-day life which we all generate, but women find it difficult to dispose of with the result it clutters their life to the extent of wreaking havoc on their body.

Symptoms of stress- this can be physical, emotional, social, spiritual, mental and occupational.

Anxiety and women are buddies for life. Let’s see how these symptoms affect the health of a woman.

Physical stress- females from headaches, insomnia, malaise, stomach upset, backache, low libido, binge eating, obesity, lack of concentration, hair loss, skin ageing, change in menstrual cycles, pregnancy issues & difficulty in coping up with menopause 

Emotional stress- Anxiety, mood swings, irritation, depression,

 Mental stress- negativity, lack of concentration, forgetfulness and indecisive

Occupational stress- work pressures which can lead to discontentment

Social stress- isolation, lonely feeling, family issues

Spiritual stress- guilty feeling, emptiness, despair

Women can suffer from PTSD or Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder due to some traumatic events which may occur in their lives. Like sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual violence or the loss of a loved one. This can lead to depression and anxiety in women.

Reasons for stress in women- financial issues, job stability, relationship issues, parenting and health issues

Though everyone goes through stress in their life we need to handle stress in a positive and mature fashion to avoid health issues. Women can follow a healthy lifestyle which can help them overcome stress. This includes-

• Meditation
• Exercise
• Deep breathing
• Writing one’s thoughts
• Proper diet
• Me time
• Proper sleep
• Socializing
• Reading good books
  
  
  
• Proper time management
• Talking to a counsellor to get proper guidance
• Social work
• Destressing with music
• Laughter therapy
• Face the challenges
• Adapt to change and focus on the present instead of dwelling in the past.

 

The mantra to remain stress-free should be ‘Don’t stress, do your best and forget the rest.’

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Dr PREETI TALWAR