Do you know why women are emotionally stronger than men? That’s because women suffer more stress than men. Because of this, they get lots of practice, so as they get older, the more they learn how to handle stress and anxiety. Most women know how to manage their own emotions, and they are more understanding and comforting.
But we are not here to compare the emotions of men and women. All people are different, after all. We’re here to talk about why women are prone to suffer from higher stress levels.
Daily Roles and Struggles
Being a woman is far different nowadays than it was back in the olden days. Women are acknowledged and praised now and can focus on their professional careers even while being mothers. Even so, discrimination or mockery can’t be avoided in any workplace.
But of course, women get stronger generation by generation. Aside from that, especially for mothers, they have to balance their career and their personal life. Not to mention their relationships with people and finding the time to take care of themselves.
Since each individual is different, different factors cause them stress and affect how they handle it. For women, depending on their female ecology. One of the causes of stress is professional pressure. If, for example, you work in the police department or any other jobs that are previously dominated by men, women tend to work harder because they are often looked down upon.
Another cause of women’s stress is finding balance in everything else in their life. Taking care of their children, solving financial issues, and watching their own health. This also includes the emotional struggles where they sometimes feel guilt, burnout, and frustration.
The Female Hormones
Biologically, women are prone to stress because of their hormones. Hormones play a great role in the well-being of both genders. They control the heart rate, sleep pattern, and sexual function. Hormones also affect metabolism, mood, body temperatures, and overall growth and development.
Women’s bodies contain female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen has a lot to do with mood disruptions, helping the brain to control emotions. Progesterone serves as an antidepressant, helping control mood swings and menopausal symptoms. With too much stress, women can have a deficiency or excess of these hormones, which most likely leads to hormonal imbalance.
What is hormonal imbalance?
This health issue happens when there is not enough or too much of a certain hormone produced in a woman’s body. It can start with little everyday discomfort like constipation or diarrhea, too much weight gain or loss. Too much sweating, easy exhaustion, and infertility. Since most of these symptoms are often treatable, many don’t seek further medical attention.
The most common causes of hormonal imbalance can range from diabetes to thyroid problems, from endocrine disorders and possible tumors. Tumors can either be mild or fatal.
If left untreated for long, it can lead to more serious medical conditions. Their body can react in different ways and create drastic changes in their body’s chemicals. Take note that these can occur to both women and men. Hormonal imbalance in men can indicate some serious medical issues as well, like prostate cancer.
Specifically, in women, a hormonal imbalance can signify early menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome, or any other ovarian problems, including cancer.
How does stress affect hormones?
The body is supposed to create stress hormones, which help you react to situations that require a certain quick level of energy and attention—cortisol and adrenaline. Like estrogen and progesterone with women, when these hormones fail to function or lacking in amount, you are likely to experience the imbalance as well. It will make you respond to problems poorly and irrationally.
While stress might look normal since all people experience it, it is essential to watch over its levels and how you react to it. Not only can it give your reproductive or endocrine problems, but too much of it can also be a risk of immune and cardiovascular diseases.
Seek help from your family doctor, especially if you’re planning on reproducing real soon or even later. It’s never too late nor too early to get yourself checked out before any problems occur or even worsen. You can also talk to a mental health professional.
Stress is a natural part of life, and you can either let it take you down or accept it and manage it well. Knowing how to manage stress in your own way is a superpower. Never underestimate it.
