Stress can be defined as the emotional and physical approach of reacting to pressure. Stress can be the source of both psychological and physical symptoms. Scientifically, Stress is defined as a physiological response by a life form to an uncomfortable or unknown physical or psychosomatic stimulus. Biological alterations consequential to the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous structure include high levels of alertness, nervousness, amplified heart rate, and sweating. Everybody experience stressful situation at some point and although effects of stress generally differ individually, it is a well-known verity that men and women deal with stress in extremely varied ways.
Men and women react very diversely to pressure, both physically and psychologically. They struggle to cope with stress in extremely dissimilar ways and also identify their capacity to handle stress, and the obstacles that deter their efforts, in distinctly unlike approaches. The key rational for men and women exhibiting diversity in reaction to stress is hormones. There are three key hormones that play a major function in stressful situations. These are: cortisol, epinephrine and oxytocin.
When under stress, all bodies produce cortisol and epinephrine hormones which, together, heighten blood pressure and the level of blood sugar in circulation. The hormone oxytocin is then produced to counteract the effects of the hormones cortisol and epinephrine since it creates a soothing and nurturing sensation. This hormone is basically the main cause of difference in reaction to stress between men and women, although it is produced in equal amounts in both genders, the testosterone in men have a propensity to lender vain the effects of oxytocin whereas the estrogen in women boosts the calming effects of oxytocin.
The chief causes of stress also differ between men and women. The chief source of stress to a man is inadequate performance while that of women is inadequacy of relationships. Men tend to let competition and challenge set the tempo and pressure brought about by these aspects leads to low esteem in men and ultimately lead to stress while women, on the other hand, let other people’s needs set the limits while foregoing their own. This self sacrifice by women is the main source of stress for them when it becomes frustrating. Men are far more likely to get stress from work whereas women will most likely get stress from their homes.
The most familiar theory of dealing with stress is fight or flight which can plainly be deduced as: fight to mean aggression and flight to mean bottling it up or absconding when confronted by a stressful situation. This theory may apply to men but it rarely applies to women. The theory that supports a woman’s strategy of managing stress is called; tend and befriend. This, in essence, means that a guy under stress will opt to bottle it up and let it play out or become aggressive whereas a woman will tend to nurture (for example take their kids and run to safety) or cuddle and talk it out.
When stressed, a man will most likely engage in an aggressive sport in an attempt to take out his frustrations or indulge in an activity that will help him forget, at least momentarily, that is why a man will go into a drinking spree when stressed. A man will request for a break or to be given some space whilst the opposite is true for women. A woman under stress will opt to be near loved ones and will talk about the issues causing her stress as an approach to dealing with stress.
In order to appreciate the distinction between ways in which different genders manage stress, here are a few ways in which men and women react to pressure. Women will read a book ore indulge in activities that involve other people to whom they can pour out their troubles whereas men will indulge in sports to take out the building aggression caused by stress or just do nothing regarding to it and merely allow it slouch or fade off.
A few women report a heightened appetite for food when stressed, most of who end up eating unhealthy food. Women will bust out in an emotional frenzy when stressed whereby they’ll require somebody to pay attention to them and reassure them everything will be okay. On the contrary, men will prefer to bottle it in and be left alone when stressed. Men don’t need the reassurance that everything will be okay due to nature of their stress causing factors (competition and challenge). Men will prefer to take a break, regroup themselves and get ready to retackle the problem. A woman may overcome a stressful issue after talking it out but a man will feel at peace only after he has tackled the problem technically.
In summary, the aspects that cause stress to a man differ greatly from those that cause stress to a woman therefore dealing with stress will vary, in reference to the causative agent, between men and women. The natural response of the body towards pressure also varies from men to women thus causing varying reactions to stress between men and women. Women will, typically, try to find someone to whom they can pour out their emotions and ask for advice whilst men will most likely seek an escape activity that offers a relaxing diversion.
Works Cited
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Goodheart, Kristin, et al. Eating Disorders in Women and Children:. Chicago: CRC Press, 2011 .
Nazario, Brunilda. "Why Men and Women Handle Stress Differently." 06 June 2005. www.women.webmd.com. 21 April 2012
Slowik, Guy. "What is Stress?" 26 October 2011. www.ehealthmd.com. 21 April 2012
Worell, Judith. Encyclopedia of Women and Gender. New York: Elsevier, 2001 .
