Samantha Johnson

Women and Stress - Chapter 5

Human beings encounter stressors in their lives daily. Women tend to be more affected by stress
than men do or at least show it more physically according to the American Psychological Association
(2010). Occupational stress can majorly contribute to positive and negative stress in our lives. Some
women are stay at home moms and take care of the children and house work during the day. More and
more women are out trying to climb the corporate ladder and work white collar jobs. Research shows that
working women are healthier and happier than non-employed women (Ballard, D.R., Chandler, C.K.,
Kolander, 2014. P137). Even though working women are happier than unemployed females, some women
would say that stress they experience with work is significant.
Ballard, D.R., et al. (2014) mention the job strain model on page 136, which predicts that high
strain jobs, or jobs that have high demands, produce the most illnesses. These high strain jobs produce
psychological problems, physical pain, increased incidences of sickness and absences, increased
depression and serious increased rick of myocardial infarctions or heart attack (p 136 para 4). Women
are more likely to report physical symptoms of stress such as having a headache, having felt as if they
could cry, or have an upset stomach or indigestion (American Psychological Association, 2010). These
problems of stress can increase the risk of eating disorders, cold and infections, back and neck aches,
stomach ulcers, asthma attacks, skin disorders, and even cancer (Cleveland Clinic, 2013).
A growing concern for some time now is the gender gap in the work place and in the pay scale.
Many times men are paid more for the same job that a women does with the same qualifications. More
than half the women in the workforce state that they have been sexually harassed in the past and chose not
to report it (Ballard, D.R., et al. 2014. p137). This is usually due to the embarrassment experienced by the
incident, the chance that they may lose their job, or that no one will believe them which can add to
occupational stress. Some severe types of sexual harassment can lead to trauma and cause women to
become distant from friends or family or avoid people in the workplace, leading to higher rates of anxiety

and depression. Women who are at the executive level in the workplace often have families and
marriages which can increase the amount of stress due to juggling work, relationships and family
obligations (Ballard, D.R., et al. 2014. p137). This type of chronic stress with persistent and excessive
anxiety, for at least six months, can lead to a diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Women
with this condition usually worry about routine things in life such as: job, bills, kids, chores, and
schedules (Ballard, D.R., et al. 2014, FYI p138). Women are usually seen at the nurturing caregivers of
the family. This can place a lot of pressure and stress on us to juggle these responsibilities.
Women who are assertive and hardworking are sometimes referred to as having type A
personality. People who are type A do not relax and see relaxation compared to being lazy. Women
considered type A often have a higher case of hypertension, this could contribute to the rising number of
cardiovascular illness among women (Ballard, D.R., et al. 2014. p.137). When it comes to health of the
body and the heart, women must learn to deal with stress in a positive manner. Using breathing exercises
can be very beneficial to a female that gets anger or has trouble with anxiety. Also taking some time to
calmly ask yourself questions, such as: Am I over reacting? Is this completely out of my control or can
I change this easily? These simple questions can make you stop, and think with a level head about a
situation in which is stressful.
Ask a full time working female, I can relate to occupational stress. I do not have a spouse or
children but I do have a hard time progressing in my current job causing me stress and with the rising cost
of living, my pay is stagnant while my bills rise. This causes me a great deal of stress especially when I
do not see an end to this or a quick solution. In order to help with this, I try to keep a level head and
remind myself that I cannot immediately do anything regarding my income or my bills, I cut out
unnecessary payments, I make sure to exercise so that I can release built up anxiety and stress, eat
nutritional food, set out 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night, and continue to be a great and hardworking
employee. In order to decrease the physical stress on my body I frequently set out money and time to see
the massage therapist and the chiropractor which can help relax and heal my muscles from occupational

trauma. Also the Cleveland Clinic (2013), states a major stress reliever a women can include in her
weekly regimen is to set aside relaxation time, whether it be time she spends catching up with a family
member, shopping, or watching television.

References:
American Psychological Association. (2010). Stress in America: Stress and Gender. Referenced from:
http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2010/gender-stress.pdf
Ballard, D.R., Chandler, C.K., D.R. Kolander, C.A. (2014). Contemporary Women's Health: Issues for
Today and the Future. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Cleveland Clinic (2013). Stress & Women. Referenced from:
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/healthy_living/hic_Stress_Management_and_Emotional_Hea
lth/hic_Stress_and_Women