How Stress Affects Women

It seems like we’ve all been tricked. We were told that all of the new technology and advances in the world would make our lives easier. But it also seems that stress levels are getting more and more out of control each day. What you may not have realized, however, is that stress affects men and women differently. Here are some of the top ways that stress can have a negative impact on the lives of women (http://www.everydayhealth.com/womens-health/physical-side-of-stress.aspx).

Depression—Stress can lead to a variety of issues. One of those is depression, when the body literally just shuts down and finds no joy in anything. An off-shoot of this is also that women who are depressed are also more likely to develop eating disorders, a condition that is linked with depression due to the lack of serotonin in the woman’s system.

Emotions—Yes, we get it. The stereotype for centuries has been that women are overemotional. But the female body needs more levels of oxytocin to help nurture our emotional side. This means that stress can seriously throw our emotions out of whack. This can also be exacerbated if you don’t get enough sleep, another major component of life with stress.

Gastric issues—You’ve probably heard the phrase, “stress eating.” But if you do eat too much when you are stressed out, then you can wind up with gastric problems on top of weight issues. Bloating and cramps are pretty common, and even irritable bowel syndrome can be an issue if you stress eat.

Skin problems—What’s eating away at you on the inside can also show itself on the outside. Stress can manifest itself with breakouts and rashes that can ruin your complexion.