Women, surf Facebook and Twitter to cope stress

By: Agencies | | Published: January 16, 2015 5:58 pm

Washington, Jan 16: A new study has revealed that women who use a lot of Facebook and Twitter are less stressed out. Lee Rainie, the research group’s director, said that when they headed into the study, they thought it would prove that bit of conventional wisdom that high social media use leads to higher stress levels overall, but instead, it pushes against it, the Washington Post reported. Lead author Keith N. Hampton of Rutgers University said that social media provides “supportive exchange,” that is, people feel less stressed because they can stay in contact with friends and family, and feel that community support. Also Read - Women have unique health problems: Ayurveda for PCOD, leucorrhoea and more

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According to Hampton, women tend to be the people tasked with maintaining household family relationships and so when it comes to social media, the technology may actually be helping them fulfill those tasks more efficiently and save them time. Hampton said that women are likelier to be active sharers than men and posting a quick photo on Instagram or update on Facebook is a low-cost, easy way to do that, adding that while not everyone wants to see them all the time, posting may be important for women in reducing stress. Stress levels were 21 percent lower in women who had higher than “average” social media use in this study, that was defined as a person who checks Twitter a few times a day, checks Facebook a few times per day, shares a few pictures and gets around 25 e-mails per day . (Read: Beat stress with mindful meditation) Also Read - Estrogen can protect you from the flu: Boost levels of this hormone naturally

It’s likely that venting about the bad things in her life on social media makes a woman feel better, while simultaneously raising the stress levels of the women near and dear to her, what Hampton and Rainie term the ‘cost of caring.’ The study is published by the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project. (Read: Beat stress, fatigue and depression with laughter yoga)

Here are some tips to beat stress

1. Good nutrition: Good nutrition is a powerful ally when it comes to dealing with stress. Your body needs extra B vitamins for a healthy central nervous system, and vitamin C and zinc for building resistance against infections. You can boost your energy levels and reduce fatigue caused by daily stressors by eating small, frequent meals (at least every 3 hours) based around complex carbohydrates such wholemeal bread, pulses, oats, pasta, rice and potatoes. These foods supply a steady stream of energy to the body and have a calming effect on the brain.

2. Eat peacefully: Set aside a peaceful time for eating so that you can eat slowly, relax and enjoy your meal no matter how busy and rushed you may be during the rest of the day.

3. Avoid caffeine: Excessive amounts of caffeine containing beverages like tea and coffee are far more likely to stimulate feelings of anxiety headaches rather than helping to calm down.

4. Quit smoking and alcohol: Some people turn to smoking and alcohol during times of stress but both of these rob the body of valuable nutrients. While the short-term effect of alcohol and smoking is to induce a sense of well being, long-term use can lead to chronic depression.

With inputs from ANI

Photo source: ANI

Published : January 16, 2015 5:58 pm

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