Causes of Stress Archives - Stress Free Mama

Multitasking – The Stressful Truth

A recent study published in the December 2011 issue of the American Sociological Review and described in USA Today shows that women do a lot of multitasking. Working moms multitask more than working dads (48 hours vs. 39) and when they are home, they multitask more housework than working fathers (53% vs. 42%). When multitasking involving childcare is calculated, working mothers beat working fathers once again (36% vs. 28%).

In fact, working moms spend two-fifths of their waking hours multitasking.

As a mother, this is not news to you. You do the dishes as you help the kids with homework. You play a game with the kids as you pay the bills.

But do you come out ahead?

Ann Bookman, from Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management, doesn’t think so.

As more and more women work full work schedules, they continue to do the bulk of childcare and housework. Of course the work loads are more equal than they were years ago, but women still do the lion’s share.

This creates stress.

“This incredible focus on maximizing productivity at every moment has tremendous social and public health costs,” Bookman said. “…If you take a sample and very carefully analyze the numbers, you can begin to see in very graphic terms that women are still the primary caregivers and we are asking them to do just as much in the workforce.”

Women think they have it all figured out. We just keep doing more. To make this possible, we multitask.

But there is a price.

Stress takes a toll on your health, your relationships and your productivity. You may think you’re getting more done, but eventually, you will crash.

The best way to relieve multitasking stress is to just do one thing at a time. One thing.

Just do homework with your child.

Just do the dishes.

Just pay the bills.

Focus on being completely present with one task.

Of course you won’t get everything done but that is the point. If you have to do two things at once, you’re doing too much. When you do one thing at a time, you must prioritize the most important tasks and let the rest go undone.

This is not easy. Many busy mothers believe that if they do less, they will let their families down.

How to End Multitasking

Ask for help. Get spouses, friends, even your children to help out.
Simplify. Prioritize your tasks and if something isn’t absolutely essential to your core values, let it go.
Say no. Reduce your obligations to other people.
Take care of yourself first. If you eat right, rest and exercise, you’ll be more productive when you do need to work.

When you multitask, you have the false impression that you are very productive.

Making the transition from multitasking to focusing on one task can be hard. Start by making a commitment to spend 15 minutes tonight doing one thing.

How have you reduced your multitasking?

By Julia Rymut;

More Stress in Women than Men

As a woman and a mother, you juggle the needs of many people and the many roles you play. Whether or not you work outside the home, your job is not done at 5:00pm; nor is it done at 9:00 when the kids go to bed. You work from rising to sleeping. And throughout your days, you face repeated stressful events.

Women’s stress is frequent and constant. Now there is a study to prove it. The University of Arizona, Tucson did a study of 166 married couples. The people in the study kept a daily diary for 42 days, recording their daily events and stress.

The study concluded that stress in women is higher than in men.

The results make an important distinction, however. Women are more stressed because they experience more episodes of distress and not because they carry their distress from one day to the next.

This is an important insight into women’s stress. I think it reflects some of the differences in how men and women are wired.

Women multi-task. Women juggle so many roles and duties that they bump into stressful situations more often. Instead of starting one thing and completing it to the end, you have many priorities at once and this is bound to create conflicts.

Perhaps one conclusion is that women need to muti-task less. Would stress in women decrease if you completed one task fully before starting the next? Stop calling the dentist while driving to the grocery store. Say no to volunteering at church and stop splitting yourself into many little parts.

The other conclusion is that even though you multi-task, can you learn to focus your attention on what you are doing now, and not worry about what is coming next. How many times do you plan what you will do after dinner, while you are making dinner? Be busy, but be busy with one thing at a time. Keep your attention single pointed.

Women let go of distress but they have lots of stressors. According to this study, women’s stress was caused by many stressful events one after the other; it was not caused by carrying stress from one event to the next. So women let go of an event when it happens, but there is always another one down the line.

Could this study reflect how unsupported many women are in their everyday lives? Few women have a community of family or friends which help them everyday. Often you shoulder the burdens of your children and spouses alone. Maybe women are stressed because they need more help?

The study goes to great length to discuss whether women’s stress is caused by their different gender role from men or because they process distress differently, but in the end, it doesn’t matter. As a woman, you need to find the ways which create peace in your life.

Stress in women is high. You carry a big responsibility to your family, friends and loved ones. It is important to make your well-being as important as the well-being of the people you care for.

Find peace for the benefit of everyone you love.

By Julia Rymut;

Stress and High Blood Pressure: Evil Twins?

The busy career woman making lots of big decisions–lots of stress. But high blood pressure is not necessarily the result. Find out ways to control stress and high blood pressure.

Stress and high blood pressure have long been associated together in most people’s minds. Several studies have shown that “Type A” personalities, high-energy, competitive people prone to anger, are more likely to die of heart attacks or suffer from long-term heart disease, than more laid-back personality types are. Is the stress experienced by Type A personalities a one-way ticket to high blood pressure?

Are Stress and High Blood Pressure Connected?

Experts say the answer is not a simple yes or no. Stress does not automatically mean that you will have long-term trouble with high-blood pressure.

Your body reacts to stress by increasing the “stress” hormones, epinephrine (adrenaline) and cortisol which in turn raise your blood pressure. This is called the “fight or flight” response. Your body is preparing you to either fight a perceived danger or run from it.

Of course, now most people experience the chronic stress of the everyday grind, dealing with the difficult boss, meeting a work deadline, getting the kids to school on time and so on. Being physically prepared to either “fight or flee” simply does not help in these situations and so some people remain in a fairly constant cycle of stress arousal.

However, what may be stressful to some is actually enjoyed by other people and this fact complicates matters for scientists researching the connection between stress and high blood pressure. A clear-cut definition of stress has not been agreed upon by researchers, but most would agree that if your individual “stressors” are a source of distress there is cause for concern. If you are distressed, your blood pressure will rise and then return to normal after your unease subsides. The problem is that even temporary bouts with high blood pressure can cause damage your heart, blood vessels, and kidneys, if they occur on a regular basis.

Risk Factors for Stress-related High Blood Pressure

If you are under constant distress from your situation or lifestyle you may be at risk for stress induced high blood pressure.

Symptoms of stress include difficulty sleeping, headaches, stomachaches and intestinal problems; some people may experience sweating palms, rapid breathing, and even heart palpitations. If your stomach churns at the thought of going to work, chances are you are in an unhealthy stressful situation.

You should be especially concerned if you have a family history of high blood pressure or if you are African American, because these factors increase your risk of developing hypertension (the medical term for high blood pressure).

Chinese Medicine’s Understanding of Stress and High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is one condition which Western medicine has long connected with stress. Other healing systems, such as Chinese traditional medicine also recognize the connection between stress and high blood pressure. Chinese traditional medicine distinguishes two forms of high blood pressure: liver and lung.

In liver high blood pressure the qi of the liver increases too much. Qi is a concept unique to Chinese traditional medicine; simply speaking qi is the energy or life force that flows through the entire body. The symptoms of liver high blood pressure include headache, heart palpitations, dry or red eyes, and dizziness, but high blood pressure is often present without symptoms.

In lung high blood pressure, qi of the lung cannot descend. Symptoms of lung high blood pressure include shortness of breath, swelling of the legs and feet, wheezing, and fatigue. Both liver and lung high blood pressure are treated with various herbal preparations; acupuncture is also a part of the treatment. In addition, dietary changes are helpful.

Lowering Blood Pressure with Diet

Both Western and Eastern healing systems recognize diet as playing an important role in high blood pressure. Chinese traditional medicine focuses on increasing urine output and avoiding constipation through diet. Cleansing fruits and vegetables are recommended; these include watermelon, winter squash, cucumber, carrots, and mango.

Western practice focuses on reducing sodium, sugar, and unhealthy fats. Sodium raises the blood pressure of sodium sensitive individuals; ninety percent people are sodium sensitive. Reduce your salt intake and beware of added sodium in foods. Sugar also increases blood pressure, probably by increasing adrenaline. Avoid transfats and saturated fats; these unhealthy fats raise your bad cholesterol which can increase your blood pressure. Eat foods rich in fiber; fiber cleans the system and helps lower cholesterol as well as blood pressure.

The dietary guidelines that most doctors prescribe for hypertension are summarized in the DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. This dietary program, which is endorsed by the National Institutes for Health, emphasizes an excellent healthy diet approach–low sodium, high fiber, fruits, veggies and little junk food. In a study, it was found to lower the blood pressure in all subgroups, but particularly African Americans.

Help for Starting DASH
One excellent resource for starting your DASH diet is DashForHealth.com. This website has an online program which helps you keep track of what you are eating. It has health calculators for BMI (Body Mass Index), calories to eat and calories burned in exercise. It gives weekly health tips, recipes, and you are encouraged to email any questions you have to their health team. There is a monthly fee, but it is reasonable and this may be a great tool to get you started on a healthier diet for your high blood pressure.

Basically Western and Eastern recommendations for a healthy diet coincide. Both perspectives recommend a diet high in healthy vegetables and fruits, along with complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole wheat, buckwheat, and millet. Both recommend keeping meat to a minimum. A diet following these guidelines will help your general health and not just your blood pressure.

Some foods are particularly good at lowering blood pressure. Garlic is the acknowledged superstar; as little as one clove a day of garlic can significantly lower your blood pressure. Carrots are also good at lowering blood pressure, as are tomatoes and broccoli.

Lowering Blood Pressure with Herbs and Supplements

There are many herbs and supplements which help lower or control blood pressure.

Magnesium. Magnesium acts as a smooth-muscle relaxant, and acts as a natural calcium channel blocker, and so may help relax the blood vessels, lowering blood pressure. Other minerals associated with controlling blood pressure are calcium and potassium.
Vitamin B3. Vitamin B3 (a vasodilator) is helpful in controlling high blood pressure.
Hawthorn berry extract. Hawthorn berries contain chemicals which can protect and relax you arteries. It has been used for centuries as a traditional remedy for many cardiovascular problems.
Coenzyme Q10. CoQ10 is an anti-oxidant produced by our body, but which declines as we age. It has been shown to help lower blood pressure.
Essential Oils. Many essential oils can help relax you and reset your nervous system back to the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest mode). Try Lavender or Ylang Ylang or the blends Peace and Calming, and Aroma Life, which is especially good for conditions of the heart.

Will Reducing Stress Reduce my Risk for Hypertension?

This is another question for which the answer is not simple. Researchers have found no direct connection between stress reduction and decreased hypertension. However, the good news is that stress management offers overall health benefits that can improve your heart’s function and eventually lead to healthier blood pressure.

Even if you stress level seems unmanageable and impossible to reduce, taking the time to make simple dietary changes will help you feel better. Don’t get stressed out while trying to de-stress. By making gradual changes you can get a handle on stress and high blood pressure.

By Julia Rymut;

Troubles Sleeping for Women in Bad Marriages

Women in happy marriages get good sleep. Sleeping for women in unhappy marriages–not so much. How can insomnia help you improve your marriage and your life?

Women in happy marriages were 10% more likely to get a good night’s sleep than women with unhappy marriages concluded a recent study by Wendy M. Troxel, a psychologist at the University of Pittsburgh.

Wendy reviewed questionnaires from 2000 women who participated in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN). The women reported on their sleep quality (how often they had trouble falling asleep, if they stayed asleep, and how early they woke up) and the quality of their marriage.

The women with happy marriages had less trouble getting to sleep, were more likely to stay asleep, had fewer sleep complaints and had more restful sleep. Sleeping for women in unhappy marriages was not as good.

Is it a surprise that poor marriages and poor sleep go together?

…After all, these women are in bed with the person they are not happy with.

…After all, relationships are very important to many women and relationship issues are bound to trouble women.

…After all, an unhappy marriage is bound to increase stress.

Wendy points out that her study does not examine which comes first–the bad marriage or the bad sleep, but only that poor sleeping and women in unhappy marriages go hand in hand.

While this study comes dangerously close to stating something so intuitively obvious that it doesn’t need stating, there is a deeper point you can learn.

Too often we look at the pieces of our lives and forget the big picture. No doubt some of these women have gone to doctors with sleep issues and have received medication for insomnia. No doubt some of these women attribute their sleep problems to the many stresses (besides their marriage) in their lives.

But at the core, these women are not happy in their marriage. And some of them are not happy at all.

If you view the symptoms of your health as clues to your deeper needs, then insomnia becomes an opportunity to ask, “What is really going on with me?”

If you view the symptoms of your health as clues to your deeper needs, then insomnia becomes an opportunity to ask, “What is really going on with me?” Instead of shouldering your stressful life unquestioningly, look at your health and assume that you most likely, barring the whims of fate, would be healthy. If you can’t sleep at night, then ask why not?

It is hard to look at your life without blinking, and as a woman, harder still to face the cold realities of a troubled marriage. But in doing so, and accepting what is really happening, you become free to both improve your relationship, and get a good night’s sleep.

By Julia Rymut;

Does Stress Cause Acne?

Western and Eastern Medicine agree that stress does cause acne. The imbalances that result from stress contribute to stress acne.

Does stress cause acne?

The harried mom struggling to get her kids to half-a-dozen activities in different locations, who experiences acne for the first time in her life, would certainly agree that stress plays a role in acne. So would the teen whose face breaks out in horrible zits the day before her school play.

Practitioners of traditional Eastern medicine have long connected emotional imbalance with acne and Western researchers now have strong evidence that stress plays a major role in triggering the hormones implicated in acne.

The Western Perspective

For decades, the Western perspective focused on acne’s physical causes. Despite the observations of many patients, the idea that stress played a role in acne and other skin disorders was mostly ignored.

Fortunately, Western healers are now increasingly realizing that there is a mind-skin connection and that stress can cause acne.

This new perspective has been coupled with research into the physical aspects of stress. Recent studies have shown that teens experience more acne when under stress than at other times

Your body reacts to stress by releasing stress hormones, including cortisol. Cortisol triggers inflammation in your entire system, including your skin and it also can trigger the production of more skin oil.

Inflammation is a far greater factor in acne than skin oil is. An improper diet, too rich in refined sugars and processed foods, contributes to inflammation and makes it more difficult for your body to cope with stress. Acne is not prevalent in countries where the average diet is low in refined sugars and processed food.

Does Stress Cause Acne? The Eastern Perspective

Ayurvedic Medicine:

Traditional Eastern perspectives also see diet as a factor in overall health, but they focus on the whole person, concentrating on emotional imbalances as well as physical ones. According to traditional Ayurvedic medicine, which has been practiced in India for 5,000 years, each person has three basic energies or doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha. Each person is a unique combination of these doshas and imbalance in the doshas leads to illness.

Stress, relationship problems, diet and environmental factors unbalance the doshas and lead to health problems, including acne. Ayurvedic practitioners treat acne and other health problems by attempting to restore balance to the doshas. Yoga, meditation, dietary changes, and herbal supplements are part of the Ayurvedic treatment of acne.

Traditional Chinese Medicine:

A similar approach is used in traditional Chinese medicine. In Chinese medicine, acne is considered to be caused by disturbances to the body’s meridians by heat or damp heat. These imbalances can be produced by diet, overwork, and stress.

In addition, stress and emotional upsets cause stagnation of the the basic energy of the body or qi. Acne is treated with herbal medicines and acupuncture to produce release of the qi and a return of the body’s natural balance.

Health = Balance
In the eastern perspective, health is balance in the whole person. Stress, poor diet, emotional upset, unhealthy environments, and overwork all upset our internal balance, and acne is just one symptom of that upset.

If you suffer from stress acne, you are not alone. Stress acne is one of the most common skin disorders; it is more common in women, than in men. Even people in their sixties can suffer from acne when they are under stress. Fortunately, alternative treatments offer hope that stress acne can be controlled and possibly cleared.