Tips on How to Manage Your Stress

We all encounter stress in our lives to varying degrees and for a wide variety of reasons. The daily grind of the workforce and the taxing rut of academia are two major contributing factors to the build up of anxiety these days, not to mention most peoples desire to maintain good health and a moderately active social life. Studies show that stress affects women differently than men, that 23% of women executives and professionals say they feel overwhelmingly stressed while women who work full-time and have children under the age of 13 report the greatest stress worldwide. But is it possible that women try to remedy stress by unintentionally creating more? How often do you handle a hectic situation by trying to occupy your brain with even more tasks? It is not uncommon for women to feel the need to cope with the anxiety of a jam packed life by taking on a surplus of extra responsibilities which they believe will temporarily relieve them. Taking extra shifts at work when money is tight, making a sudden drastic change in routine, trying to meet all the needs and demands of people around us in a short amount of time - these are the types of things that drain the minimal amount of energy left for sustaining an already chaotic schedule.

Career related stress often seems to result in overbooking and over exerting physical energy into other tasks, while the stress of relationships and emotional trauma can cause people to spend a considerable amount of time exhausting their mental energy with paranoia, fixating, and excessive self-deprecating. Women who work full-time jobs outside the home and raise children are reported to have the highest levels of stress and anxiety while women in general are said to experience stress more than men anyway and in very different, unique ways. One recent research model proposed by psychologist Shelley Taylor of University of California suggests a "tend-and-befriend" pattern in females that consists of responding to stress by protecting themselves and their loved ones through nurturing behaviour and seeking out social support. Under pressure females release oxytocin, which is what stimulates feelings of mothering and bonding and enhances an inclination towards interaction with other females as shown in studies for both humans and animals. Ever wonder where the gender stereotype came from about women flocking together for bathroom breaks, girls-night-out, and gossip sessions over coffee? There is a remnant of truth to it, but the issue in today's busy world is that women are finding themselves hard pressed for ideas on how to stay mentally relaxed. Here are a few expert approved suggestions for mental health:

Food: - A well-structured eating schedule is essential for a lifestyle that is prioritized and balanced. Many people forget just how affected their brains are when they don't eat right and it is so easy to overlook meal times by replacing them with more work. Moods are lifted and concentration is more focused with a healthy diet, and even some guilty pleasure treats can really lighten the tension in a day so when you've got a lot on your plate, put a lot on your plate!

Talk: -A key cause of stress accumulation is allowing frustrations to build up without the release of identifying them and talking about them with someone else. You never realize just how much you're dealing with until you hear yourself talking about it - spend a little time vocalizing the events of your day or even writing them down. Another bad stress habit is keeping a mental to-do list rather than an actual one; think of your head as a computer system with not enough memory to hold all of your data unless you back up your information! It will be a relief to know you have your activities written in a calendar or planner instead of relying on your own brain to alert you of everything you need to do in a week. Also, sharing a problem with someone who may have had similar experiences will decrease feelings of isolation and perhaps give you a solution.

Take a break - It seems unnecessary to mention but when the workload piles up we tend to keep ourselves on the go lest we become distracted and lose focus. But a couple of 5-10 minute breaks throughout the day can really help to clear your head and give you fresh perspective.

Mingle: -Stay social; avoid secluding yourself away from your support network. Using your free time to interact with people will help clear your mind and refresh a positive attitude.

Accentuate the Positive: - On that note, fixating on all the negative aspects of the tasks at hand--especially ones beyond your control--causes increased stress. When you take breaks be sure to avoid consuming yourself with thoughts of work, school, or whatever issues normally take up your time.

Humour - Learn to take life less seriously and find amusement in the little things around you. Laughter sets you at ease and gives you a sunny disposition towards life, take time to enjoy being light-hearted as often as possible.

Exercise: - Keeping your body in good physical shape means that your brain has a chance to be in good shape as well - both need daily maintaining and lack of one can affect the performance the other. Going for walks, jogs, even just stretching your body throughout the day all contributes to fitness and goes a long way.

Stress: -Stress leads to far more than mental fatigue as it affects the immune system and can contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, and other illnesses; it should be considered a significant priority to keep excess stress at bay as much as possible. Women of all ages, whether in the workforce or school or wherever, should be aware of the status of their mental well being at all times for the sake of their health; physical and emotional clarity is a reward for personal success and we deserve to enjoy it, don't we?

Courtney Gilmour
		About the author:
		Courtney is a published writer, stand-up comic, and shameless Internet enthusiast. She holds a double bachelors degree in English Literature and Communication Media Studies, specializing in semiotic theory, however she doesn't get Shakespeare and has never won a game of Scrabble. Currently she lives in Toronto and works as a writer for WOMAN.CA.
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