Coping with stress: The best tips

How we can escape the hamster wheel

© Fotolia/Doris Heinrichs

Stress - a word that is not even 100 years old and already determines our lives. It was not until 1936 that the Austrian-Canadian physician Hans Selye formulated a definition of stress as an "unspecific response of the body to a demand". And today? Today, everything causes us stress: work, home, family, even leisure time. Things that should bring us joy stress us instead, such as vacation or party preparations. Why is that? And what can you do to cope with stress? Idea for me provides the answers!

What is stress?

When we are faced with a challenge, our body reacts. The reasons lie in evolution: in certain situations it was essential for survival that the organism went into a guarded position, preparing for flight or fight. The body releases the stress hormone adrenaline, we breathe faster, are more alert, our pulse and blood pressure rise and our muscles tense up. The problem nowadays is that it's rarely a question of fight or flight, death or life. At least not when we have to react to demands at work or in the family. Some of us can no longer reduce the additional energy provided by stress; we lack the outlet to cope with stress. This can put the body on permanent alert - with serious consequences: Migraines, depression, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, organic diseases, burnout. Especially for women.

What can women do to cope with stress?

Women are psychologically different from men, and hormones play an important role in stress: for example, scientists believe that the hormone oxytocin and the sex hormone oestrogen each play a major role. In addition, women struggle more often than men with a multiple burden at work and as a housewife and mother. Our everyday lives are therefore influenced by many stress factors.

There are a whole range of approaches to coping with stress - and here at idee für mich you can find out what these are: whether home remedies, yoga, fitness or even the self-awareness that nobody can always be perfect. We will guide you on your way out of the stress trap - even if it's just the fact that you can relax so wonderfully while browsing idee für mich...