Stress and Womens Health: Reduce Stress and Stay Healthy
By Elizabeth Scott, M.S., About.com Guide
Updated November 17, 2007
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
Too often, we’re told to ignore our inner wisdom and charge ahead in pursuit of our goals or to do what’s expected of us. While these things are important, if we habitually ignore what our feelings are telling us about our choices and our lives, we make choices that aren’t in line with our true selves, and aren’t good for us.
Being in touch with our feelings should be considered a tool for wellness. Becoming fully aware of how different events affect us can help us decide things like:
- How much is too much to take on
- Which people are good for us, and which sap us of energy or self-confidence
- What vocation is really in line with our strengths and interests
- And many other important life decisions that affect our stress levels.
While it’s easy to discount our own feelings or ignore intuition if that’s become habit, you can tune into these things at any time. It may take a little practice, but you will ultimately benefit greatly from listening to your inner wisdom rather than ignoring what your feelings are trying to tell you about your life.
The following resources can help:
- Journaling: Journaling has terrific stress management and health benefits as well as the potential to be a wonderful self-discovery tool.
- Talking It Out: Talking with a close friend or even a professional about what you’re feeling and why can help you to sort through your feelings. They can also point out things about your thought process that you may not have thought about.
