health

Women do this better than men. Science says so. SCIENCE!

 

 

 

OK, so I have a theory. Stay with me, it’s important.

We all know men and women – as a general rule – process emotion differently. Obviously, each person manifests stress in his or her own special, possibly self-destructive way.

And we all deal with that creeping feeling of anxiety by slapping our own coping mechanisms over the problem.

For me? Well, my beautiful, wonderful job here can be stressful. It’s hectic and non-stop in a really exciting way, but I’ll admit that sometimes it’s stressful. When things in my personal life – family squabbles or friends moving overseas leaving me lonely here in Sydders – play a game of Stacks On in my mind, I can feel really out of control. It’s not a pleasant feeling.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Blackmores. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words.

I just did the Blackmores Stress Quiz, and it really helped… By confirming that I’m “a little more stressed than most” it motivates me to perhaps think of some better strategies to regain control and serenity (now).

Puppies make everything better when it comes to stress

For me, at the moment, the best way to calm down is to do a sunset walk by the beach or in the park, get extra cuddles from my dog Lady Fluffington, watch stupid mindless TV for a while, and make sure I get my eight hours of snooze time. Messina gelato never hurts, and I always like to talk to my sister about things that are getting to me.

But sometimes? Sometimes the only thing that’ll make the stress subside is to have a total, thorough freak out. Whether that means a really good cry or a primal scream, or a long, intense phone chat with my mum – sometimes the only way out of chaos is to feel it.

Over the years I have realised guys don’t do that. They don’t fully embrace the chaos of stress and then consciously put coping mechanisms in place. Which leads me to this theory of mine: That women actually deal with stress more authentically, faster, and overall better than their manly counterparts.

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Science backs me up, by the way: American researchers conclude that oestrogen in women’s brains can help fend off negative emotions like stress more efficiently than men’s. SHIZAM.

Here’s some, ah, more informal evidence.

The 7 ways women handle stress in a superior way.

1. We talk about it with girlfriends. And only our girlfriends.

2. We know that a little retail therapy and a fabulous outfit can brighten our day and give us back a bit of confidence.

3. We’re open to getting great advice, whether it’s from our mothers, our sisters, our girls, or our Oprah.

4. If we’re lucky, we have a friend who will drag us out of bed and help us face the day.

5. We know when it’s time to do some emotional eating and drinking (in moderation, obviously).

6. We really, truly cry it out of our systems.

7. Then when we’re ready, we stage the ultimate comeback.

 

How do you manage stress? 

 

With stress being a health and wellbeing concern for many Australians, Blackmores has stepped in to help by developing a Stress Quiz at blackmores.com.au/stress enabling you to complete a personal stress assessment and see how your stress levels compare to the rest of Australia. On completion of the quiz you will then be directed to relevant tips and resources on how to manage stress and help find balance in your life. Blackmores Naturopaths are also on hand for personalised advice via our free Advisory Service 1800 803 760.

Blackmores offers a range of products to assist Australians in finding balance including – Blackmores Executive B Stress FormulaBlackmores Sleep Sound Formula & Blackmores Digestive Bio Balance and Blackmores Sustained Release Multi + Antioxidants

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Blackmores Stress Research, Based on a nationally representative sample of 1,524 Australians aged 18+ carried out by TDE research, October 2013.