Women At work
Don’t Let Stress Get You Down 

Women at work not only have to cope with all the normal work stress and pressures, they can also have outside issues which can increase their levels of stress and ultimately affect their performance at work. Things such as:

• Premenstrual tension
  
  
• Postnatal depression
  
  
• The menopause
  
  
• Infertility
  
  
• Weight issues
  
  
• Single parenting stress

Women are far more likely to be affected by hormonal issues on a monthly basis which only adds to their overall levels of stress. This can make it harder for the working women to get to the top of her profession, not only having to be as good as her male counterparts but having to cope with these added pressures too.

Success

Success or the fear of success is also an issue for women at work, let me explain.

Females are often brought up to be non-aggressive and less likely to achieve high status in life, expected instead to be more nurturing and caring then men.

This expectation is ingrained from an early age and so by the time a woman goes to work, there is a natural conflict with being ambitious and aggressive enough to achieve high status at work alongside her male counterparts. This causes conflict which leads to stress and anxiety.

This could be why there are not so many women at the top and that the ones who are, show more male attributes such as aggression, ambition and even anger at times. It takes a lot to remain feminine but strong enough to compete in the work arena to achieve top success.

Once a certain level of success has been achieved there may be other problems which arise and causes further stress and anxiety, managing people for instance. Because females are not brought up to be particularly assertive or authoritative, it can sometimes prove to be difficult to manage other people. A conflict between having to be a manager and being in control and the female attributes of being caring and nurturing can occur and this conflict can cause much anxiety if not managed.

Learning to be in control and professional when in the work environment and then being more feminine at other times is often key to reducing stress. When I was a manager, I found that I thought of myself as a manager and not as a woman when in the board meetings with mostly men. That way I could say and do things which may not be particularly femanine but were professional and I think I learned a lot of respect for this. It was also very empowering for me and I think other women at work could certainly get a great deal from this approach too.

TIPS: Women At Work Breaking The Conflict

• Make sure you are fully informed and have all the information at your fingertips when needed.
  
  
• Think of yourself as a manager first and a women second.
  
  
• Have set goals for your job and go for them.

Sexism

Sexism at work can still be a problem for some women. It is often hard to prove and difficult to get past. The glass ceiling syndrome for women at the top is bending slightly and we can only hope that it will shatter soon.

Sexism and sexual harassment at work can cause all sorts of stresses, from fear and anger to resentment and loss of self confidence. However there are things you can do to try and overcome these issues.

• Speak to any individual who is making you feel uncomfortable. Do it when alone and in a calm and controlled way. Explain the situation and see how they respond. In some cases the man may be unaware that his actions are making you feel uncomfortable, in others you may meet with ridicule but either way, you have expressed your feeling and that is a positive step.
  
  
• Keep a diary of any events that happen, this may be needed in the future if things get to the stage of reporting them.
  
  
• To speak to other female colleagues, it may be happening to others in which case you will have a stronger case. If not then the support of another women may be enough for you to overcome the situation yourself.