Depression has become a common catchword in our society. Work stress is extremely prevalent in today’s society, and can impact happiness levels, health, and other important aspects of your life. We need to learn more about the link between work depression and happiness, and find resources to have a healthier, happier life. Managing stress is all about taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. Stress Management is the need of the hour today. One would find that depression is nowadays viewed as a “bad thing”, with a range of harmful biochemical and long-term effects. These effects have rarely been observed in positive situations. In humans, as in other animals, these hormones help us to run faster and fight harder.
They increase heart rate and blood pressure, delivering more oxygen and blood sugar to power important muscles. There are many proven skills that we can use to manage stress. These help us to remain calm and effective in high pressure situations, and enable us to avoid the problems of long term stress. Further, adopting a humorous view towards life’s situations can take the edge off everyday stressors. Not being too serious or in a constant alert mode helps maintain the equanimity of mind and promote clear thinking. Studies shows that around 87% of Indian women claim feeling stressed most of the time, with an additional 82% asserting they had insufficient time to relax. It turns out that in general women cope with stress differently than men. When women are stressed, they seek emotional support from family and friends. It is rightly said that “With more and more nuclear families, women of the house have to balance home and career.” Women are socialized to be the caretakers of others. More women than men have both a career outside the home and continue trying to juggle traditional responsibilities after hours.
Over 70% of married women with children under the age of 18 are employed outside the home. Women find it harder to say “NO” to others’ requests and often feel guilty if they can’t please everyone. They often spend less time nurturing their own emotional and physical needs, as that might be perceived as selfish. In addition, relationship alterations or the loss of loved ones can produce empty nest or other separation syndromes in their lives. Nearly 160 million Indians are suffering from high blood pressure (BP) — 17% of the global burden of uncontrolled hypertension. Despite the seriousness and pervasiveness of heart disease, cardiovascular problems aren’t inevitable. BP is often a precursor to heart disease. High blood pressure that goes undetected or isn’t properly controlled can lead to heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, stroke or premature death. It is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease mortality, causing more than 7 million deaths every year worldwide.
On the other hand, bad habits such as smoking and drinking too much alcohol overburden our already busy hearts and cause them to break down. Certain lifestyle and genetic factors may contribute to the risks of developing essential hypertension. Lifestyle changes, such as a healthy diet and increased exercise are very much important for everyone with raised blood pressure. Adopting a more heart-healthy approach to life can definitely have a positive influence on future generations. Today, we can describe women as struggling to achieve the “male standard” at work, while trying to maintain the perfect wife and mother standards at home. The only way to manage stress is to challenge the negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
