An Excerpt from The Survival Guide for Working Moms (and Other Stressed-Out Adults)
Reducing Stress For a Healthier You and a Healthier Family
What you need to know about stress
Any challenge—or anything that seems like a challenge or a problem—can cause stress. Even wonderful events, such as a marriage or promotion, can cause stress. The body’s reaction to stress happens naturally, and can help us cope with a dangerous or difficult situation. But, if the stress continues, it can harm our health.
In the long run, the hormones from stress will weaken your immune system, so you can’t fight off viruses and bacteria as easily. You might be more likely to develop gastrointestinal conditions such as ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome. You might also develop high blood pressure, stroke, or heart disease. Even wounds will heal more slowly.
If you don’t ask for help when you need it, you risk getting sick and not being able to provide your family with the support they count on. When you catch yourself saying, “I’ll grab something to eat after I go to the school meeting and get the kids into bed,” or “If I stay up a little later, I can get all the bills taken care of,” stop, take a deep breath and think about the oxygen masks on airplanes. Remember the announcement about them? It tells parents to first place the masks over their own faces before attending to their children. That’s because if parents don’t protect themselves first, they can’t take care of others.
To read more, get a FREE copy of our book, “The Survival Guide for Working Moms (and Other Stressed-Out Adults),” by Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D. and Brandel France de Bravo, M.P.H.
About the authors
Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D. is the President of the National Research Center for Women & Families, a research and education charity that provides free health and safety information and works to improve policies and programs that improve the health of women, children and families. Brandel France de Bravo is the Director of Public Affairs and Communications at the National Research Center for Women & Families. For useful information about health issues that affect your family and for more information about the National Research Center for Women & Families, visit http://www.center4research.org/