Fight or Flight? Women Use More Choices for Stress

For so much of time, women have been treated like second class citizens. Did you know that drug trials to figure out the efficacy of medication had previously been done only on men? And for much of the scientific literature that we take for granted now, we are finding when it’s re-tested with women, the results are different.

Here’s one you might not know about. A nearly 100 year of doctrine described a primitive response to acute stress as either Fight of Flight.  And internet doctor uses this explanation:

“This fundamental physiologic response forms the foundation of modern day stress medicine. The “fight or flight response” is our body’s primitive, automatic, inborn response that prepares the body to “fight” or “flee” from perceived attack, harm or threat to our survival.

FREEZE: Deer in the Headlights

Well, excuuuuse me!

I don’t even have to be a researcher to tell you that they are missing at least 1 other behavior that even men rely on: I call it: “Deer in the headlights” or FREEZE! So now we have Fight, Flight or Freeze!

How did they miss that one?

Now any woman I know uses additional coping strategies that are very effective. They are: “Tend & Friend”. If you are a woman, these are additional methods to alleviate stress: Clean your living space AND call a friend.

It turns out that when the original research was replicated with women, that these were the major methods that women used to deal with stress. And being a woman, with less testosterone in my system, I think that cleaning, organizing my space, and talking to a friend works very nicely. I don’t have to fight, or run away.

Stressed at work? Clean out your files, and clear off and polish your desk. I bet you’ll not only feel better, but get some smiles from people who see how relaxed you look!  

Do you think that women’s way of dealing with stress is why they live longer, and healthier lives than men? You men out there who are smart enough to be reading this blog, let your feminine side come out next time you’re stressed. I bet you’ll feel a LOT better, and you may even add some years to your life!