Stress is in no way an exclusively female phenomenon, but there sure are loads of articles that talk about gender differences in how men and women approach their most stressful moments (including this story about leadership written earlier this month in the Washington Post)…
Right now, 45% of us say we feel stressed in our life (more stressed than relaxed). However, that is 38% of men – and 51% of women. And, according to our most recent set of stress data, women find it harder to:
- Relax and do nothing (43% vs 29%),
- Avoid getting upset about small things (50% vs. 38%), and
- Avoid feeling anxious (64% vs 46%).
Even the stereotypical – putting work aside and focusing on one’s personal life – appears to be somewhat easier for men than it is for women.
So what underlies the greater prevalence of stress in women’s lives? It’s hard to know from our data set… except I can tell you that women say they are more likely to multi-task; less likely to get the right amount of sleep each night; and more likely to express fear about everything from spiders and heights to natural disasters and death.
Do you think stress is actually greater – and on the rise – for women (as the APA suggests) – or are men just feigning their more relaxed attitudes?
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