Is 40 the new 20? I can’t remember the first time I heard this expression, but it’s everywhere these days. Even the new ABC show “Cougar Town,” starring Courtney Cox as a very un-matronly divorcee on the prowl, promotes itself with T-shirts bearing this phrase. I admit I’m a long way from being a cougar, but as someone in her mid-40s, I’m all for the idea that 40 no longer means “over the hill.” Today’s 40 is a long way from our mothers’ version of 40, and even further from our grandmothers’ time. And much of that has to do with looking after our physical and emotional health. I want to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible, in both body and mind. But like so many others, although I work for a health website, I don’t always do what I should to get there. In this blog, I hope to explore some of the physical and emotional issues of women in their 40s and beyond.
And one of those issues is certainly stress. I’ve got it, you’ve got it — seems like stress is as American as apple pie. Just to prove it, the American Psychological Association recently released its annual survey results on Stress in America. Both men and women surveyed said they were affected by stress, and money, work problems, and the economy were the top three sources of stress for both genders. But more women reported being stressed compared with men, and women were much more likely to have symptoms of stress like being irritable or exhausted or feeling unmotivated.
As I was reading through the survey results, one particular statistic really jumped out at me. When asked why they hadn’t made changes recommended by their health care provider that would ease stress and benefit their health — things like eating a healthier diet, exercising more, and losing weight if needed — more women than men said it was because they didn’t have enough willpower. But is that really the case? After all, if you’re worried about money, your job, or your family, and you barely have enough energy to get through the day, is it lack of willpower that makes you doze off on the couch instead of going to the gym after work, or sends you through the drive-through for fast food instead of making a healthy meal from scratch? It’s a vicious circle, but maybe our stress is keeping us from doing things that would help our stress.
What do you think? If you haven’t made lifestyle changes that you know you need to make, or that your doctor has recommended you make, is it because you don’t have willpower, or is it something else?
From Everydayhealth.com written by Amy Solomon
And one of those issues is certainly stress. I’ve got it, you’ve got it — seems like stress is as American as apple pie. Just to prove it, the American Psychological Association recently released its annual survey results on Stress in America. Both men and women surveyed said they were affected by stress, and money, work problems, and the economy were the top three sources of stress for both genders. But more women reported being stressed compared with men, and women were much more likely to have symptoms of stress like being irritable or exhausted or feeling unmotivated.
As I was reading through the survey results, one particular statistic really jumped out at me. When asked why they hadn’t made changes recommended by their health care provider that would ease stress and benefit their health — things like eating a healthier diet, exercising more, and losing weight if needed — more women than men said it was because they didn’t have enough willpower. But is that really the case? After all, if you’re worried about money, your job, or your family, and you barely have enough energy to get through the day, is it lack of willpower that makes you doze off on the couch instead of going to the gym after work, or sends you through the drive-through for fast food instead of making a healthy meal from scratch? It’s a vicious circle, but maybe our stress is keeping us from doing things that would help our stress.
What do you think? If you haven’t made lifestyle changes that you know you need to make, or that your doctor has recommended you make, is it because you don’t have willpower, or is it something else?
From Everydayhealth.com written by Amy Solomon
