How To Relieve Stress For A Woman

How are you feeling now? Tired, outraged, or simply indifferent to your life? If you’re a woman reading this article, you probably feel overwhelmed with never-ending obligations associated with stereotypical narratives. Raising kids, going to work, doing house chores, running errands – these and more responsibilities are done by women around the world daily. The worst part is that these things are often taken for granted and aren’t acknowledged in fairness. At any one moment the average woman may realize her tiredness and delve into a state of stress. Stress, of course, may be provoked by positive factors as well, but in this article you will learn about ways to combat stress produced by negative aspects, especially if you’re a woman. How to relieve stress for a woman? Take your time to read the article and discover the simple ways to become more content with your life.

What Is Stress?

When you hear the word stress you might recall only negative situations that have affected you in some way. Still, stress is not necessarily about negativity as it is involved with positive narratives as well.

The best definition of stress is given by the Cleveland Clinic, which states that stress is the body’s reaction to current events. 

The second well-informed definition says that stress is the body’s natural defense against danger and predators (9). When something dangerous or unexpected happens our body loads us with hormones that prepare our system to evade or confront any danger. 

Of course, stress may be both negative and positive. 

Let’s take two opposite examples: 

1. You get promoted at your job or win a lottery. Your body will feel stressed but it’s not going to be destructive. 
2. You get fired or lose a large amount of money. Your body gets stressed, which provokes a number of symptoms making your life miserable. 

Luckily, you live in the modern world that offers great ways to reduce stress and makes you generally feel satisfied with your life. Before diving into those ways, let’s take a look at how stress can impact various spheres of your life.

Read More: From Stressed To Zen: Here’s How Chair Yoga At Work Can Make You Healthier And Happier

What Happens During Stress?

Stress is a tricky thing and it plays weird games with your body. Those body changes may be minor and affect you for a few hours or major affecting your health and emotional state for a long period of time. 

General symptoms of stress in women include:

• Physical. Headaches, insomnia, exhaustion, pain, upset stomach, overeating/undereating, skin issues, drug and alcohol abuse, lack of energy, low libido, inability to enjoy things you used to like doing. For instance, remember going on the first date with a person you liked. You strolled to the cafe hungry but when you sat at the table with your partner, you barely put any food in your mouth. Surprise, that was all about stress. This can work the opposite way too when someone devours more food than they usually eat. 
• Emotional. You get a whole bouquet of emotions: Feelings of anxiety, unhappiness, depression, anger, irritability, mood swings, and frustration. Your emotional state is depleted and it doesn’t get enough restorative time. 
• Mental. Forgetfulness, worry, can’t make decisions, negative thoughts, lack of focus, you space out and feel bored all the time. It looks like nothing makes any sense to you. 
• Occupational. Work overload: you take longer shifts, have tense relations with co-workers, have poor concentration, or simply don’t enjoy your job anymore.
• Social. Less intimacy, isolation, family issues, and the feeling of loneliness even when you’re surrounded by others. You isolate yourself from relatives, friends, and new acquaintances. 
• Spiritual. Loss of meaning, apathy, emptiness, unforgiving, doubt, guilt, and despair (8).

These symptoms work away at any possibility to relish life: interaction with people, adventures, self-development, inner creativity, and most importantly, your health. 

Chronic stress is harmful as it develops over a long period and contributes to problems in the following systems: 

• immune
• respiratory
• cardiovascular
• sleep
• reproductive (3).

Constant stress may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure (9).

Yes, you desire to find out the solutions to relieve stress as fast as possible but it’s important to understand how greatly stress can mess with your life. Now you know.

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How To Relieve Emotional Stress For A Woman?

Emotional stress is your reaction to challenges in your daily life. These challenges provoke a whole bunch of emotions: sadness, fear, disappointment, worry, etc. Once it invades your emotional state, you fail at daily activities, isolate yourself from society, and desire to either shout, cry or lie on your bed all day long. 

Emotional stress can leave you with all sorts of physical symptoms, such as shortness of breath, dizziness, feeling anxious, or provoked pain in your body. 

Have you ever felt overwhelmed or refused to communicate with others? Maybe you’re being more emotional than before? 

Well, here are the best ways to relieve stress, specifically emotional ones. Of course, there is no guarantee any one of them is going to abruptly lift up your spirits but they will reduce some symptoms:

• Take a walk around the area that brings you the most positive emotions. You may use headphones and turn on your favorite music, or podcasts, or listen to the people around instead. 
• Seek support from your friends and family, or people you trust. Hiding your feelings may be good sometimes but if certain thoughts keep nagging you, you need to share them with someone. 
• Try yoga. Studies indicate that relieving stress yoga is a useful way to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression in women. 
• Take up exercising. Workouts do not only tone your physique, they positively impact your emotional state. The truth is, during any physical activity endorphins levels boost; this can relieve emotional pain or simply distract you from your daily worries. 
• Laugh more. Laughing together with people or simply reminiscing about the times you laughed with someone, increases life satisfaction. Binge on the old funny comedy, laugh as loud as you can (if you really want it, of course), and release the tension (6).
• Do journaling, or use any other way for self-reflection. Journaling is regarded to be a safe and effective way to vent on paper. You write down your thoughts and feelings, therefore, uncovering the main stressors. With the help of journaling, you face your emotions and understand the ways to deal with them (1). Trek to the store, purchase a notebook and a pen, go home, sit in the comfy chair, and start writing everything that comes to your mind. The paper version is better than the digital one as it becomes more intimate. That said, if writing with a pen is not your cup of tea, go ahead and use any online source. Make sure you are honest with yourself. 

Read More: 9 Easy Yet Effective Stretches For Stress Relief That You Can Do At Any Time, Anywhere

How Can A Woman Get Rid Of Stress?

There are many things for a woman to do to relieve stress. Check out the short list of positive ways to cope with stress. It doesn’t mean that all of them will be perfect for each woman but just picking up one activity will make a difference: 

• Control your anger by breathing in and out deeply to the count of five;
• Talk to your friends and family about your feelings;
• Work out or simply stay active;
• Participate in hobbies. Incorporate something creative into your life, a painting, for example. It’s not about how well you can paint it’s about the process of filling your body with peace and calmness; 
• Spend time outdoors;
• Try out a massage therapy;
• Clean or organize your workspace or home;
• Take counseling. A special therapist may help you guide your way to reducing stressors in your life;
• Get a pet and play with it;
• Travel to a new country or a city and try to get acquainted at least with one stranger there;
• Watch favorite movies while eating delicious meals; 
• Cry if you want. Shedding tears can be good for your health (4). Crying allows both men and women to release stress and emotional pain. Thus, don’t be afraid of bursting into tears if you feel that way.

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What Is The Easiest Way To Relieve Stress?

It is impossible to give a clear answer to this question. Here’s why – we’re different and fight stress differently. The ways you desire to combat stress entirely depend on your preferences. 

Reckon the activities you genuinely admire doing and transform them into your stress busters. 

However, if it’s hard for you to identify it, use this effective way – walking. 

Walking is easy, common, and relaxing. It’s an underrated physical action promoting your health and mood. The best part about walking is that it may be done anywhere and you don’t need any special equipment. 

Comfy shoes and clothing are the only props you should use during this process. Try to daily walk for at least 20 minutes, with or without headphones in your ears. Whatever works for you. 

Mindful walking is a more elevated way to reduce stress (5). It’s the type of stroll during which you acknowledge all the five senses during movements: hear the voices of people, feel the earth with each step, smell the freshly cut grass or cotton candies, observe the objects around, and taste something special (in case you’ll be eating or drinking). 

This activity helps you identify your emotions and feelings more clearly while simultaneously relaxing your body. 

Knowing this, after a big fight or terrible news about something, go outdoors and breathe in and out deeply, to smooth your nerves.

What Are The 7 Ways Of Relieving Stress?

As you can see, the list of stress relief for women is huge. Still, some of them are highly effective and may not only relieve stress but help you prevent it in the future. Watch the list of 7 simple ways of relieving stress.

• Stay active. Any physical activity can act as a stress buster. No need to be an athlete to work out at home, go for a jog, or a peaceful stroll. Take up something you enjoy and make sure you move your body. During active movements, your level of endorphins and other natural chemicals pumps up which enhances your sense of well-being (6). 
• Eat healthily. Yeah, yeah, you have heard it dozens of times but hearty dieting choices do help with stress relief (6). A healthy diet containing fruits and veggies can help support the immune system during stress. 
• Talk to someone about your feelings and thoughts. Find a friend, relative, college, or any trustworthy person and let them know your fears, desires, or worries. Venting helps. Plus, those close to you can come up with great solutions for you. In case you have no one close to trust,contact a therapist. 
• Sleep well. The quality of your sleep impacts your reaction to stressors. In order to stay in a better mood and shape you need to enjoy a healthy sleep (6). Put your phone on mute to not get distracted and ensure you lessen the screen time before turning in. 
• Masturbate. Most articles for some reason don’t include masturbation in the female’s stress relief list which is odd. In reality, the act of self-pleasure from oxytocin releases and lowers stress hormones. Additionally, masturbation improves immune function, promotes focus and concentration, enhances the quality of your sleep, and improves mood and self-esteem (2). 
• Enjoy creative activities. Listening to music or singing songs perfectly decreases stress hormones. Jazz up your day with invigorating music, dance to it, or pretend to be a popular artist singing in front of your fans. Seek out more new interests you’ve never even thought to try out. Don’t think about the quality of doing the action, just relish the process. Paint, sketch, sew, cook a delectable meal, ride a bicycle, or learn how to ride one, anything that shifts your focus to something meaningful.
• Perk up your assertiveness. Is it hard for you to say no to people because you’re a people-pleaser? Saying yes to things you may not find pleasant helps you prevent conflicts or confrontation but it lowers your spirits eventually. You are the most important person to yourself so you have the right to not do a certain action or not agree with someone (6). Many women are loaded down with jobs and house chores due to stereotypical gender roles. If you’re a woman it doesn’t mean you’re obliged to cook, spruce up your home, and raise children on your own. Talk with your partner and demand dividing house chores equally. These changes will especially impact your emotional and physical state in a positive mode. Put your needs on top and learn to say no without being afraid of resentment from others. 

How To Reduce Daily Stress?

Experiencing stress daily is bad for your health. Maybe you get stressed out daily as you loathe your job and need to relieve stress at work. Perhaps you need to take care of your elderly parents which puts a lot of stress on you. Unfortunately, situations provoking daily stress can be endless. 

Chronic stress will make you constantly tired, and agitated, and in some cases, it may lead to violent actions, a heart stroke, or suicide. Therefore, you need to take it seriously. 

You could try reducing daily stress with the aforementioned activities but the most effective way would be to contact a counselor. If you’re a woman overwhelmed with obligations but can’t stop that cycle you need to seek a professional therapist who may help you identify the stressors and suggest ways to relieve stress specifically for you. 

The Bottom Line

Stress is a normal reaction to daily occurrences. Stress may be positive and negative. Stress may impact versatile areas of your life, starting from daily exhaustion to a heart stroke. 

Hence, this article proposed various answers to one specific question – How to relieve stress for a woman?

All of these ways may be applicable to single women, mothers, or workaholic females. The easiest way to reduce stress is to take up mindful walking and one of the best ways to relieve daily stress is to contact a counselor.