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.