Jan 28, 2009 10:26 am US/Central
Study: Women Need More 'Me Time' To Beat Stress
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
These days there's plenty of stress to go around, but a new poll by the American Psychological Association found women are a lot more stressed than men. The study says women need more "me time."
Experts say women are often great at taking care of other people, but they end up neglecting themselves. Dr. Robin Kerner at St. Lukes Roosevelt Hospital, says chronic stress can lead to serious mental and physical problems.
"Whether it's heart disease, a skin condition, back pain, depression, headaches, anxiety," Kerner says.
Dr. Kerner says women need to schedule "me time," whether it's exercise or a 15-minute bubble bath, and you have to put it in the calendar, the same way you do with activities for your kids or meetings with the boss.
Kerner says learn to say "no" and realize you can't be superwoman by doing everything for everyone. Delegate what needs to be done, by asking your family and friends for help, and get rid of the guilt.
"I do exercise every morning and I'm going to be 82 years old. I'm a young woman and he keeps me young," says Phyliss Casper.
"He" is Leonard, her husband, who says the key is to stay active and to give your partner the freedom and time to do what they love, even if you have no interest.
"I love to dance and she doesn't, she loves to go to the theater or gamble which I'm not interested in," he says. "So it's about doing your own thing and being in a good marriage."
Turns out those kinds of differences can really help the marriage work.
"This is the man, we've been married 33 years and I'm still madly in love with him," says Phyliss.
The Caspers say talking it out and laughing have kept their stress levels way down for decades.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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