Everybody occasionally feels anxious or worried, especially in specific situations. For example, you could feel nervous before speaking in front of a large audience or preparing for a job interview. It may be anxiety, though, if you constantly worry about most subjects and cannot “switch off” your anxious thoughts or control anxiety symptoms.
Women are more prone than males to experience anxiety, even though stress may afflict everyone. Statistics on anxiety demonstrate that:
- Agoraphobia, phobias, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and post-traumatic stress disorder are all conditions that affect women more frequently than males (PTSD)
- When anxiety and depression co-occur, women are more prone than men to do so.
- Depression and anxieties are more frequently experienced concurrently by women than by males.
- The likelihood of women experiencing several anxiety disorders is higher than males.
There might be a lot of reasons why women deal with worry more frequently than men do. Women have various life periods and circumstances that might heighten or fuel fear. This may include things like shifting hormone levels, stress, issues with self-image, and challenges from modern society that women may feel.
It’s also important to remember that women are typically more likely than males to seek counseling and help for their anxiety, which can result in more women than men receiving an anxiety diagnosis. ShiftGrit, a group of Calgary psychologists, treats women with anxiety in a sympathetic manner.
What Makes Women Feel Anxious?
Whether you’re a guy or a woman, several scenarios and potential causes of anxiety might increase your likelihood of feeling it at some point in your life. Here is a handful of them:
- being subjected to exploitation or neglect, mainly if it occurred while you were a child
- Experiencing anxiousness yourself or having a close relative who does
- Personal experience with anxiety or even other mental health issues
- being afflicted with a severe bodily illness, such as cancer
- being divorced, losing your career, or going through different traumatic or stressful situations
However, the fact that one is a woman can also contribute to various anxiety-related factors.
Hormonal changes
Women endure changing hormone levels, which are related to particular bodily phases. These phases include adolescence, menstruation, labor, childbirth, and menopause. It is believed that the hormonal changes associated with these periods of life might make women more prone to worry.
Puberty
Female adolescents undergo a lot of change during puberty. At this point in their lives, they’re probably facing additional difficulties in addition to the physical changes that might cause problems with body image. Peer groups, issues with social media use, and school anxiety are just a few instances. This might result in worry, especially when combined with the considerable hormonal changes that occur throughout puberty.
Periods
No matter what part of a woman’s cycle, having a period causes her to experience biological ups and downs the whole month. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which affects certain women, is known to lower their mood, make them irritable, and feel exhausted. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder, which is more frequent in certain women than PMS, can cause more severe symptoms (PMDD). Women with PMDD endure severe mood disorders, including anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Conceiving and Delivery
Women’s bodies undergo significant hormonal changes throughout pregnancy and after delivery. The “perinatal phase” is the term used to describe this time frame.
Prenatal anxiety begins to manifest during pregnancy and before delivery. It can focus on various issues, including stress from preparing for the baby’s arrival and worrying about giving birth. Anxiety during the perinatal period may be terrible if a woman is having a difficult pregnancy or is struggling with severe morning sickness.
Postpartum anxiety manifests itself in the first year after the baby’s delivery. The postpartum period is another time when worry might be focused on anything, such as worries about the baby’s health or on “coming back” physically. Multiple birth mothers may also be more prone to postpartum anxiety. There’s a chance that it and postpartum depression coexist.
How can women deal with anxiety?
Whether you’re a woman or a guy, the good news is that anxiety is perfectly treatable, and you might be able to recover fully. ShiftGrit provides top-notch anxiety treatment to assist you in overcoming your challenges and returning to the healthy and fulfilling life you deserve.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal psychotherapy, and antidepressant drugs like SSRIs are frequently used to treat anxiety.
Tips Women can manage anxiety.
If you haven’t already, you may benefit from adopting basic lifestyle adjustments, regardless of whether you decide to seek therapy for your anxiety. You may overcome your fear by maintaining a healthy body & mind.
The following seven coping mechanisms may be helpful for women who feel anxious:
1. Make time for self-care
An action that makes you feel good is considered self-care. You may lessen stress by setting out time daily to engage in at least one empowering act for yourself. This can assist you in experiencing less stress. Depending on your unique preferences, several activities might be called self-care, but some include working out, taking a shower, reading, or talking to a close friend.
2. Practice Meditation
You must recognize the current moment without judgment in all meditation practices, including awareness, yoga, & tai chi. Numerous studies have demonstrated that meditation every day can help reduce anxiety. If you’re new to meditation, you might want to enroll in a course or learn on your own by viewing a guided video.
3. Exercising
Exercise is essential for your mental and physical health; studies have shown that it can help reduce anxiety. Performing 20 to 30 minutes of strenuous exercises, such as running, or at minimum 60 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as walking, at least four days a week is advised by experts. Before starting a new regimen, if this is your first time exercising, see your doctor.
4. Take proper sleep
Anxious persons frequently experience sleep problems. Sleeping issues affect up to 50% of patients with generalized anxiety disorder. A sign of anxiety, as well as a risk factor, is sleeplessness. You are avoiding stimulants like coffee, liquor, and nicotine is advised if you have trouble falling or staying asleep. Maintaining a regular sleep and waking schedule, refraining from using electronics just before bed, and having a quiet, dark bedroom are ways to practice excellent sleep hygiene. Thinking about talking to your doctor if you still have trouble falling asleep. You could gain from additional examinations or medical care.
5. Talk Up!
Many fearful women will be reluctant to speak up or ask for help for several reasons. Don’t be afraid to ask for professional help if you’ve tried several anxiety-reduction techniques but feel that they aren’t working or aren’t being done enough. For certain women’s recovery, seeking therapy may be necessary. There is no reason to suffer in quiet when there are other options.
Help For Anxiety
Getting help for anxiety is never a terrible idea. Waiting any longer can cause needless suffering. Your relationships, emotions, and ability to do daily tasks such as working, going to school, or maintaining your daily routine may all be negatively impacted by chronic anxiety. Suppose your anxiety is mild and not substantially affecting your life. In that case, you might be able to manage it on your own by taking care of your physical and mental health, engaging in self-regulating activities like havening, and maintaining relationships with your support network.
However, if your anxiety is distressing you, substantially impairing your lifestyle, and does not go away within a few weeks or months, you should carefully consider obtaining therapy. Aside from anxiety, you should consider getting professional help if you also have depression or sleep problems.
