Women are caretakers. Even in this 21st century when the woman has taken a greater role in being a breadwinner, she is STILL a caretaker at heart. She puts everyone else above her needs. If you read my blogs for long, you will know that I am an advocate for taking care of yourself too. Maybe even first. Because if you don’t take care of you, who will take care of everyone else?
February is National Heart month. More and more women are being diagnosed with, and even dying from heart disease.
Most of us know the important things to do to take care of your heart. Many of you are doing those things, like eating decently healthy, and getting some exercise (if chasing kids count). You don’t smoke, you have a few glasses of red wine a week.
A sneaky threat to our health
There is another factor that can have a significant impact on your heart health.
STRESS
And more specifically our response to it.
Many of us like to joke about our Type A personalities. After all, we’re the ones who get things done, right?
Much research has been done on us Type As and it can be a bit scary. Below are some of the characteristics of Type As that could make us more prone to a heart attack.
- Self-imposed standards that are often unrealistically ambitious. A need to maintain productivity in order to be respected, a sense of guilt while on vacation or relaxing.
- Multitasking, almost to an obsessive point
- Unsatisfactory interpersonal relationships due to the fact that Type As are usually self-centered, poor listeners, and are much more easily angered, frustrated, or hostile if their wishes are not respected or their goals are not achieved.
- Fidgeting, tapping the feet, leg shaking, or playing with a pencil in some rhythmic fashion are common. Muscle tension such as clenched jaw or shoulders tightened and raised are also common.
Does this humorous video below remind you of your life?
Signs of a Heart Attack:
- Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
- A women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. However, women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
If you have any of these signs, don’t wait more than five minutes before calling for help. Call 9-1-1…Get to a hospital right away.
Help for Type A women
If you are NOT having a heart attack, but worried that your life may be pushing you in that direction, check out these posts on learning to slow life down a bit. And, I will be sharing more in the future on how to harness some of that Type A energy.
Found you through WLW. Love this post. I just wrote a post, http://wisemommies.com/index.php/family/pregnancy-maternity/241-moms-put-your-own-oxygen-mask-on-first.html, similar idea to your post….love how you tied in National Heart Month. Also love the video…does sort of feel like that, ummm, often! Great post!
Yes, even though I wasn’t having a heart attack, that so could’ve been me in the video, the way I put everything else first. Didn’t have a heart attack, but did have a nervous breakdown.
If you are interested, you can read more about that here, on my other blog: http://livingthebalancedlife.com/about/
Thanks!
I LOVE IT!!! This is extremely relevant and well put together! Thanks for sharing and for the article…
Andrea
You are very welcome! Scary thing is, that could just as easily have been ME in that video, the way she put everyone and everything else ahead of her own health!
[...] just read an article and video on moms, stress, and heart disease on thestressedmom.com. Great information and hilarious video! You’ve got to watch the [...]
Great PSA effort, hopefully would not fall on deaf ears!
Thanks! I hope not!
HILARIOUS! That video is unbelievable, so good! As is your post! Thanks for the reminder to slow down! visiting from TPT!
Great post! My blood type is not Type A – it is Type O, however, women all over feel the same pressure of living up to standards that are not realistically sustainable for the long term. I learned this the hard way. I didn’t have a heart attack (thank G-d), but I landed myself in the hospital for psychosis from lack of sleep.
As woman, we must take a moment to assess what our priorities are and limit ourselves to the priorities that we have set for ourselves. If that means that we may not look as perfect to others as we would like….then so be it….we aren’t perfect….no one is.
Wow, psychosis from lack of sleep! I can imagine though. I suffer from insomnia and ran out of medication that I take and did not sleep for 4 days. I was a MESS by the time I got to the doctor. I was talking 90 miles and hour and shaking like a leaf!
Priorities are the key, and no one can define yours but YOU.
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[...] to Me | 7 comments I just read an article and video on moms, stress, and heart disease on thestressedmom.com. Great information and hilarious video! You’ve got to watch the [...]