Wellbeing Weekly

3 Minute Read

One of life’s biggest realities is that change is constant. Much like change, stress is inevitable and unbiased. Stress can be a direct result of the existing stigmas and common misconceptions of health conditions among specific groups of people, including women, such as infertility and mental health. Heart disease, for example, is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, yet can often be dismissed or misinterpreted based on an atypical presentation. This can be a dangerous trend – particularly in the workplace – due to the unique and wide variety of stressors women face in society and on the job that affect their overall well-being.

The release of stress is subjective – what is stressful to one person may not be to another. Experiences perceived as happy occasions (weddings, travel, job promotions) may induce stress in certain people and trigger similar feelings of unhappy events (illness, being overworked, financial struggles). Regardless of when stress shows up, your body reacts to it: your heart rate increases, your blood vessels narrow – and over time, these instances can do damage to your health, particularly your heart.

More and more young women are experiencing the lasting effects of heart disease because of symptom identification that leads to serious events going unnoticed. For example, men and women present with different signs of a heart attack. Chest pain is a clear indication of a man experiencing a heart attack, whereas women can present with pain in the back or neck in addition to tightness in the chest.

According to Mayo Clinic, women are more likely than men to have health conditions that increase the risk of heart disease such as:

• Emotional stress or depression
• Diabetes
• Menopause
• Pregnancy complications
• Family history of heart disease
• Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and scleroderma

While some cope with or hide stress better than others, it can be especially difficult not only to conceal its effect at work, but also to stop stress from growing larger from the inherent pressure of job performance and achieving success. Working women often juggle several jobs at once as a parent, CFO of the household, caregiver, and more. When roles multiply and you find yourself in high demand, it’s natural for cardiac-related vital signs to rise such as high blood pressure and pulse rate.

How much stress you experience and how you react to it can lead to a wide variety of health problems, including heart-related issues. Taking charge of your personal wellness and heart health can manifest at work simply by standing versus sitting throughout the day and striking a good work/life balance to avoid feeling overworked. Establishing a healthy diet, exercising regularly and taking care of you will also help you feel and perform at your best.