Have you ever felt that there just aren’t enough hours in the day? Between family commitments, career, household tasks and everything in between, there’s some definite truth behind the saying, “A woman’s work is never done.”
Biochemist Dr Libby Weaver coined the term Rushing Woman’s Syndrome to describe the physical effects that take place in our bodies as a result of always being on the go.
“What’s unfolded for a lot of women is a frantic double shift of work, day and night, with very little – if any – rest,” she explains. “When women do paid work and household work, and childcare, it’s really the equivalent of three jobs.”
What is Rushing Woman’s Syndrome?
Most of us are familiar with the great surge of adrenaline that comes when we suddenly feel alarmed or stressed. When this happens, we enter a state known as fight, flight or freeze mode, which is controlled by the body’s sympathetic nervous system.
This effect is meant to be a temporary response that helps us to act fast when we’re under threat. But Dr Libby says many of us are now spending too much time in this mode, due to the constant kind of stress that comes with modern life.
“The stress response is switched on pretty constantly,” she says. “Our adrenaline is often driven by psychological stress and so for a lot of people, it never ends.”
The science of stress hormones
While adrenaline can be good in small doses, Dr Libby says too much can affect everything from our sleep and blood pressure to our sex hormones.
If we remain stressed for a long time, our bodies will eventually start to release large amounts of cortisol. She explains, “Cortisol is our long-term stress hormone.”
Like adrenaline, cortisol only becomes a problem if our body releases too much. Some of the main symptoms of excess cortisol include high blood pressure, mood swings, muscle weakness and weight gain.
Don’t burn out
When stress goes untreated for too long, Dr Libby says we can reach an extreme point of fatigue known as burnout. “It’s the body saying we really need to address either the way that we eat, drink, move, think, breathe, believe or perceive,” she says.
If you reach the point of burnout, Dr Libby insists it’s important to show yourself some care and kindness. Make sure you’re eating plenty of nutritious food, avoid too much alcohol and stick to gentle exercises such as walking.
She also recommends obtaining a blood test for thyroid dysfunction and nutritional deficiencies.
“If someone is iron deficient, it’s very difficult to recover from burnout because iron helps with the transportation of oxygen all around the body,” she tells.
Practice self-compassion
If you feel like you’re struggling to meet all of your commitments, it’s important to go easy on yourself. For many of us, we also need to stop worrying about what other people think.
“A lot of our stress comes about when we perceive the disapproval of others,” she explains. “It might be what our parents think of us or our inner circle of friends, or our boss or particular colleagues.”
By developing a better understanding of ourselves, Dr Libby says we are in a better position to make ourselves well again. “We’ve often got to get to the heart of why we sacrificed our health in the first place,” she says.
Stretch your way to better sleep
If you’re struggling sleep enough each night, it may be time to introduce stretching into your daily routine.
Studies have proven stretching can improve both the quality and duration of our sleep. Experts report that one reason to stretch is that it interacts with the body’s nervous system.
Often we don’t realise when we’re holding on to tension in the body until someone says, “Relax your shoulders.” Then all of a sudden, you find yourself taking a deep breath and you feel your shoulders sink down. For a brief moment, you forget all about whatever it was you were thinking about before.
Another bonus of stretching is that it releases tension in the muscles and joints. This takes physical stress away from the body and allows it to better rest at night.
If you need a few pointers on the best ways to stretch, try a yoga class or a free video on YouTube.
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