9 SIGNS OF STRESS IN WOMEN
Recently, I learned that research is showing women experience stress differently than men.
This isn’t just about whether they experience more stress than men (though there’s some indication that might be true)…it’s about how they experience stress, how they show it, and how it affects their lives.
Today, I’m outlining 9 signs of stress in women.
If you’re a man, don’t ditch me yet. It’s important to know how the women in your life might experience stress differently so you can recognize it and support it (or stay out of the way!).
And, I put together a list of 258 signs of stress we see in women and men, so make sure you grab that — there are some surprising ones on there, like seeing spots and a metallic taste in your mouth.
Anyways, let’s get into these signs of stress in women.
*song in my head: 🎶Wish we could turn back time…to the good old days…When our momma sang us to sleep…but now we’re stressed out 🎶
Why Men & Women Experience Stress Differently
We don’t know exactly why there’s a difference in how women and men experience stress, but it seems to be related to how our bodies process stress hormones differently.
When we say “hormones,” we usually think estrogen and testosterone, but there are all kinds of hormones in our bodies that do a huge variety of things.
You’ve heard of cortisol, for example…that’s a hormone that responds to stress. So hormones like that seem to explain at least some of the difference between how men and women experience and respond to stress.
Stress can be caused by short-term things, like a big work project or a sick kid, or it can be caused by more chronic things, like financial pressure or an impossible boss.
In a lot of ways, men and women experience stress similarly. So today I’m focusing on the reactions that are different. Let’s get to it.
9 Signs of Stress in Women
- Tension headaches — Muscle tension is a common stress response, and tension headaches are caused by muscle tension in the head and neck. These types of headaches are reported more in women than men.
- Tummy problems — Both men and women have digestive problems with stress. This ranges from heartburn to vomiting to diarrhea. But twice as many women as men are affected by irritable bowel syndrome, which is exacerbated by stress. And, come on, it’s hard to feel cute when you’re gassy….and I mean that’s just stressful on its own.
- Heart problems — It’s no secret that stress increases risk for heart disease. But younger women (i.e., under 50) who already have a history of heart problems seem to be even more susceptible to the impact of stress on the heart compared to men of the same age.
- Menstrual problems — well this is an obvious difference between men and women! But even among women, PMS tends to be more severe among women whose stress level is higher. And stress can also make our periods irregular. And I don’t know about you, but 100% of the time my period comes unexpectedly, it’s a day I’m wearing white pants. 100% of the time.
- Sexual problems — Now here’s the thing. A lot of my female clients are very distressed because they never think about having sex. Like…never. Research shows women who are stressed have lower levels of sexual arousal or lower sex drive than women who are less stressed. And this probably won’t surprise you…but women who are stressed are also more distracted during sex, which obviously affects arousal.
- Fertility problems — Chronic stress responses in women appear to decrease fertility and odds of conception in women but not in men. And women react really strongly to problems getting pregnant, which just increases the stress, which decreases fertility, which increases stress, which decreases…. You get it. It’s a problem.
- Stress eating — When the stress hormones kick in, we consume more calories. And of course it’s not more calories that come in the form of vegetables. It’s high fat, high sugar calories.
- Weight gain — Ugh, you knew this was coming. If women stress eat more, they’re also more prone to stress-related weight gain and obesity. In fact, the link between stress and weight gain is stronger for women than it is for men.
- Mental health conditions — The more stressed we are, the more likely we are to experience all kinds of mental health symptoms and even be diagnosed with a mental health condition. But research is showing this is even more true for women. We’re starting to think this is because women feel stress differently than men and they respond to it differently, which affects risk for mental health conditions.
Other Signs of Stress
These, of course, aren’t the only signs of stress.
Most signs of stress are the same between men and women.
So I put together a PDF listing 258 signs of stress that both men and women experience.
Check that out for some hidden signs you might have never thought of — like flatulence…or gambling.
By the way, even though women have it rougher than men in the ways I outlined here, men have it harder in other ways. Given how much stress affects our bodies (check out that PDF to see a huge list of the impact), it’s critical for all of us to manage stress as well as possible. Identifying signs you’re stressed is the first step.
Next week, we’re continuing this discussion about stress as we talk about burnout. We think about burnout as something that happens at work. We think of nurses, teachers, social workers, and physicians as burning out because they work long, intense hours in high-pressure, high-stress environments. But what I’ve noticed with my clients is a broader phenomenon that I’m calling “lifestyle burnout.”
We’re burning out not just from work but from the high-pressure, high-stress lifestyles we live.
I’ll detail it for you next week. Don’t miss it.
Talk to you soon,
Dr. Finch
P.S. Here’s the summary: I outlined 9 signs of stress that specifically affect women. And I put together a PDF outlining 257 signs of stress that affect both men and women. If you’re curious, I marked the ones that I experience when I’m stressed. Next week, we’re talking about how workplace burnout is becoming what I call lifestyle burnout. Don’t miss it.
P.P.S. Remember, this is education, not treatment. Always consult with a psychologist or therapist about your mental health to determine what information and interventions are best for you. See the disclaimer for more details.
Hayden C. Finch, PhD, is a practicing psychologist in Des Moines, Iowa, dedicated to helping you master your mental health.
