Why Women Seem to Have More Stress than Men
Studies have shown that more women suffer from stress-related illness than men. Why? Well one answer is this: “If you need anything done ask a busy woman.”
From the beginning of time, women have been the gatherers. They shop for groceries, cook the meals, clean the home, look after their children, wash the clothes, carpool the kids to and from school, become involved in school activities, join the PTA, work part or full time, and yet for some there seems to be this “it’s all in a day’s work” bias towards women.
There are reasons why there are more stress-related incidents among women more than men. Research indicates that men articulate their feelings more than women. They rant and rave and let out all of the pent up energy. Whereas women internalize; they keep things bottled up inside until it releases itself in a stress-related Health condition.
Moreover, most men aren’t home all day taking care of the house and the kids and the cleaning and the shopping. They come home after a day’s work at the office with a meal already prepared. All they have to do is sit down and eat. While they tend to have additional work-related stress, they deal with it by exercising or engaging in hobbies which take their minds off their problems.
Women rarely have a chance to engage in a hobby, and if they do it is after the children are put to bed. In addition, women, who work part time or full time, especially with young children at home or at day care, have a strong desire to be with the children. Yet, the bills need to be paid and work for them is not a pleasure, but a necessity. Thus, more stress is added.
Recent studies have indicated that more women are working at home than ever before. This gives them ample opportunity to spend quality time with their children, and still be able to work and tend to the home. In most cases, women opt to work in the educational system which allows them to have all holidays off as well as two months in the summer. In addition their hours are limited, and they can spend more time with the kids and take care of the home as well.
Both men and women suffer from stress, but to the degree that women have more stress is certainly understandable considering all they have to do. Perhaps if women were able to externalize their feelings as much as men, there would be less health problems. However, it seems clear that men need to become more involved in helping out at home. After all, keeping busy is their way of coping with stress.