Countless women struggle with chronic stress. In these fast-paced times, chronic stress can feel unavoidable, especially for women who are juggling work, parenting, community engagement, and personal hobbies. But women, in particular, face societal expectations that contribute to ongoing stress. These include high beauty standards, the pressure to stay silent rather express disappointment, and the belief that they should plan and manage family social calendars. All of these cultural pressures add up and exacerbate chronic stress for women.
Why is chronic stress so dangerous? Living in a constant state of stress increases your risk of depression. This makes it even harder to pull yourself out of a rut. Let’s explore why dealing with ongoing stress can make you more vulnerable to depression.
Burnout and Fatigue
When you’re exhausted from shouldering the weight of so many competing professional and personal demands, it’s easy to fall into burnout and deep fatigue. This is a common symptom of depression that many women chalk up to “feeling tired.”
You might believe that you’re supposed to be able to handle all of these responsibilities with ease. If you can’t, it’s just because you’re "not working hard enough." But in reality, burnout is a response to an unending workload that is simply too much for one person to handle. It’s a red flag for depression that can leave you feeling drained and exhausted, no matter how much sleep you get.
Irritability and Anger
Women are taught to manage tasks on their own without asking for help. If you’re dealing with a problem, you’re expected to grin and bear it. As a result, many women spend years or decades suppressing their own valid anger, and this only becomes more pronounced when you’re living under chronic stress.
Yet one day, you might find yourself becoming irritable over minor inconveniences, or becoming more and more frustrated with situations that you used to be able to just brush aside. Unprocessed anger fuels chronic stress, and it can also serve as a warning sign of depression.
Overextending Yourself for Others
Growing up, young women are pushed to accept responsibility for everyone’s emotions. As the years go on, all of time and energy you’ve poured into other people adds up. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and when you’ve invested in so heavily into the wellbeing of other people, you may feel like there’s nothing left for you. This hollow feeling that accompanies chronic stress can lead to depression.
Quitting Your Passions
When you’re chronically stressed and experiencing symptoms of depression, you might push your passions to the back burner. Perhaps you used to love reading, but it’s been ages since you had the time to pick up a book. Now, when you do have a rare moment of free time, you’re so overworked that you don’t feel motivated to read at all.
But when you lose those little sources of joy in your life, your daily routines can feel mundane and boring. Depression leaves people feeling disconnected from what they truly love.
Uncomfortable Physical Symptoms
Finally, there’s no denying the impact of chronic stress on your physical health. Your mental wellbeing and physical health are deeply connected. Both states influence each other. When you’re suffering from chronic stress, you might experience headaches, stomach pains, muscle tension, and difficulty sleeping. You may even get sick more often. Depression can mirror the same physical symptoms. Plus, leaving with these health issues can cause low moods.
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If you’re struggling with chronic stress and symptoms of depression, we encourage you to contact our practice to learn more about how depression therapy can support you.