Divorce Hurts Health More at Earlier Ages
By · Comments(Reprinted from ScienceDaily.com)
ScienceDaily (Jan. 30, 2012) — Divorce at a younger age hurts people’s health more than divorce later in life, according to a new study by a Michigan State University sociologist.
Hui Liu said the findings, which appear in the research journal Social Science & Medicine, suggest older people have more coping skills to deal with the stress of divorce.
“It’s clear to me that we need more social and family support for the younger divorced groups,” said Liu, assistant professor of sociology. “This could include divorce counseling to help people handle the stress, or offering marital therapy or prevention programs to maintain marital satisfaction.”
Liu analyzed the self-reported health of 1,282 participants in Americans’ Changing Lives, a long-term national survey. She measured the gap in health status between those who remained married during the 15-year study period and those who transitioned from marriage to divorce, at certain ages and among different birth cohorts, or generations.
Liu found the gap was wider at younger ages. For example, among people born in the 1950s, those who got divorced between the ages of 35 and 41 reported more health problems in relation to their continuously married counterparts than those who got divorced in the 44 to 50 age range.
From a generational perspective, the negative health impact was stronger for baby boomers than it was for older generations — a finding that surprised Liu.
“I would have expected divorce to carry less stress for the younger generation, since divorce is more prevalent for them,” she said.
Liu said this may be because the pressure to marry and stay married was stronger for older generations, and so those who did divorce may have been among the most unhappily married — and thus felt a certain degree of relief when they did divorce.
Overall, the study found that those who transition from marriage to divorce experience a more rapid health decline than those who remain married. However, those who remained divorced during the entire study period showed no difference than those who remained married.
“This suggests it is not the status of being married or divorced, per se, that affects health, but instead is the process of transitioning from marriage to divorce that is stressful and hurts health,” Liu said.
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(Source Reference: Michigan State University. “Divorce hurts health more at earlier ages.” ScienceDaily, 30 Jan. 2012. Web. 16 Feb. 2012.)
(Journal Reference: Hui Liu. Marital dissolution and self-rated health: Age trajectories and birth cohort variations. Social Science & Medicine, 28 January 2012 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.11.037
Marriage research out of Cardiff University is good news for companies wanting new strategies for sustaining productivity and engagement, and reducing absenteeism via a healthier workforce.
The study, originally reported in the British Medical Journal, confirms that not only are long-term committed relationships good for each partner’s physical and mental health, but that these benefits increase over time.
According to a Science Daily article outlining the study, the researchers say,
“Men’s physical health probably improves because of their partner’s positive influence on their lifestyle, and ‘the mental bonus for women may be due to a greater emphasis on the importance of the relationship’.”
In the opinion of researchers the health benefits of happy marriages means that “on balance it probably is worth making the effort” to keep your relationship healthy and vital.
Our Take On It
We agree with the researchers that healthy relationships make for healthy individuals. In addition to the above findings we’ve observed other ways that healthy relationships contribute to well-being.
For men…
…a healthy marriage and family is a critical source of purpose . That purpose is a particularly powerful generator of the positive stress that drives his productivity at home and in the workplace. Since production is what men feel best doing , healthy marriages and the purpose they offer boost their self-confidence and self-esteem enormously. This topic is discussed fully in the relationship wellness programs and retreats we offer employers.
For women…
…the positive impact of a healthy relationship comes from the deeper connection they feel with their partner. The absence of connectedness is stressful for women. Connection generates trust, and trust is a critical component of the safety women value. In our work, both men and women come to understand how to generate healthy connected relationships.
It is worth the effort for companies to support staff in having healthy, vital marriages because the cost benefits of a healthy workforce are well known. Multiple studies show that men and women in healthy relationships are:
- more loyal employees
- more engaged
- more motivated
- healthier
- more productive team members
Understanding gender differences is an important factor in healthy relationships, which in turn are a critical resource for well-being, productivity and passion in life and at work. To learn more about Inner Sync Systems’ cost-saving gender awareness-based relationship wellness program for business click here:
Between Men and Women…Healthy Relationships Naturally
To read the full Science Daily article about the study discussed above visit:
Marriage is Good for Physical and Mental Health, Study Finds
Do Women Have to Act Like Men to Succeed?
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The lesson from 2 recent studies is that for women to succeed in business the best advice is to be yourself, even if the traditional “take-no-prisoners” route to corporate success suggests otherwise. Men and women are as they are for a reason. When men are men and women are women they achieve more individually and especially as a team. Authenticity is powerful. The coming-together of their natural traits – whether at home or in business – is unstoppable.
A new study from the Department of Health and Social Sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London says that many women in leadership positions feel it is necessary to adopt typically male traits, like aggression, to succeed in business.
The opposite is actually true. Women are relationship masters. They are naturally nurturing, and are predisposed to seeking connection and building community – essential qualities for building relationships in every area of life. In our workshops we explain that women who resist their natural strengths actually push people away, especially men. Read more by visiting this link:
Do You Have to Act Like a Man to Succeed in Business?
That this is the case was confirmed by a joint George Mason University – Stanford University study published online in the Journal of Occupational Psychology. Researchers found that women who displayed male traits (self-confidence, assertiveness and dominance) but actively managed how they are perceived by others were more likely to be promoted than women who openly asserted themselves like men. Read more here…
Gender Stress Response…It’s All In Your Head
By · Comments(Article was reproduced in Corporate Wellness Magazine, Issue 22)
Stress is a part of life and work. It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman. Similar things create stress for both men and women. Job demands, career moves, not getting along with colleagues and supervisors, having children, not to mention relationship or marital problems at home are all leading causes of stress for both genders.
That’s where the similarities end however. Recent studies prove men and women respond to stress very differently. As we’ll explain below, those differences can directly impact job performance. Therefore, it is important for managers as well as those responsible for implementing corporate wellness and employee assistance programs to be aware of these gender differences and to respond accordingly.
The Stress Response – It’s All in Your Head
In 2007, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine conducted functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans on 32 healthy subjects – 16 men and 16 women – before, during and after they were asked to do a complex mathematical task under pressure. The researchers measured the subjects’ heart rate, cortisol levels (a stress hormone), their perceived stress levels throughout the experiments, as well as regional cerebral blood flow (CBF), which is an indication of regional brain function.
The study found that men responded to stress with increased CBF in the right prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with the so-called “fight or flight” response. In women, the limbic system – a part of the brain primarily involved in emotion – was activated when they were under stress. Researchers noted that the stress response lasted longer in women than in men.
According to a summary of the research on the Science Daily website,
“These findings suggest that stress responses may be fundamentally different in each gender, sometimes characterized as ‘fight-or-flight’ in men and ‘tend-and-befriend’ in women.”
In his research, Dr. J.J. Wang, the lead author of the study found that,
“Women have twice the rate of depression and anxiety disorders compared to men…Knowing that women respond to stress by increasing activity in brain regions involved with emotion, and that these changes last longer than in men, may help us begin to explain the gender differences in the incidence of mood disorders.”
In an independent study, Tara M. Chaplin, associate research scientist at Yale University School of Medicine, found that differences in how men and women respond to stress are not limited to neurological evidence. Their reactions have far-reaching implications for their over all well-being.
In her findings, Chaplin wrote,
“We know that women and men respond to stress differently. For example, following a stressful experience, women are more likely than men to say that they feel sad or anxious, which may lead to risk for depression and anxiety disorders. Some studies have found that men are more likely to drink alcohol following stress than women. If this becomes a pattern, it could lead to alcohol-use disorders.”
What This Means to Business
The University of Pennsylvania findings are simply interesting facts until you understand that:
1) the different stress response exhibited by each gender is just one tiny thread of an intricate web of differences between men and women, the strands of which fit perfectly together to create the personal and professional interactions that define life;
2) this web of interacting gender differences directly impacts people’s well-being and how they function individually and in groups both at home and in the workplace every single day.
In short, gender does make a difference in life and in business. For example, what are the real-world implications of each gender’s different stress response for businesses and for the managers who lead them?
Men Think Strategically
In our “Between Men and Women” Couples Wellness Weekend we explain that the overriding factor for men when making decisions and assessing circumstances is, “How likely am I to win or lose if I take this action?” This explains a man’s fight-or-flight response to stress. When given a task men size up a stressful situation – maybe it’s an intransigent client, a tight deadline, a declining sales trend or personal problems with a spouse. Then they mentally, if not subconsciously, start doubting whether they can handle the task. A man’s doubt is like gas to a car. It fuels his mental engine’s process of assessing whether or not there is a chance of a winning outcome. Basically, he is asking himself,” Can I do this?” If the answer is “Yes” they fight. They go for it. If the answer is “No” they “flight”. They pull back, procrastinate or avoid the project.
A man’s response to his doubt is almost always influenced by personal confidence and knowledge. A senior executive has more experience and a better real-world understanding of his capabilities. As such, he will either use his deeper repertoire of strategies for winning and choose to fight, or he will strategically withdraw. A junior manager with fewer arrows in his quiver may be more inclined to hide, delay acting or withdraw in the face of impending failure. Alternatively, his enthusiasm may cause him to over-estimate his ability so he rushes head-long into a losing situation. That’s how he learns. There may be exceptions to how each man finally responds to his assessment of a situation, but the process is always the same – stress is asserted when he receives an assignment, he starts doubting (i.e., assessing) his ability to produce a winning outcome, and depending on his answer he either goes for it or holds back.
Women Think Communally
Women, on the other hand, are naturally more communal than men. They are relationship masters. From an evolutionary standpoint, they value the safety of the “tribe” so-to-speak. They value community. As such, when stressful situations strike, they are less likely to go-it-alone than men. Women respond by tending-and-befriending. They build community around them. They talk with family, friends, and co-workers; they seek advice; they build the social support structures and alliances that safety and security depend on. Again there are always exceptions, but this basic natural reaction is universal.
The above is not to say that women won’t go for it on their own. Women, especially in business, can and do react this way. That is because of the dual nature of their logic. This sort of reaction, however, is less common and less comfortable for the majority of women. Being forced out front in a stressful situation can actually augment the stress inherent in that situation. For men, on the other hand, the stress of “leading the charge” is motivational and is far less than the stress of doing nothing or feeling restrained.
What is there for Business to Do?
According to the lead University of Pennsylvania researcher, Dr. J.J. Wang, “In the future, when physicians treat patients – especially for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder – they need to take it into account that really, gender matters.”
There is an opportunity here for wellness program coordinators. If the medical community is recognizing the need to incorporate an understanding of gender differences in their treatment practices, it’s time for the business community to do the same in their wellness programs and their management training efforts. Understanding that gender matters in business, not only in terms of how someone performs and communicates, but also in terms of how people are managed, is a key step in creating a 21st century workplace characterized by well-being, reduced stress, deeper engagement and maximized productivity.
For more information on Inner Sync Systems Inc.’s programs and services contact us at:
contact@innersyncystems.com
Phone: 403-455-9351 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 403-455-9351 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
According to scientific research, protecting the health of your relationships is a real contributor to your overall well-being.
In October 2007, CBC news reported that research, conducted in part by the University College in London, United Kingdom, concluded that stress associated with poor marriages increased the likelihood of a heart attack or other heart trouble in both male and female subjects by as much as 34 per cent over the 12-year life of the study.
In other research, Ohio State University staff inflicted blister wounds on one member of a couple. They found that when couples argued the wounds healed at 60 per cent the rate of wounds in couples that exhibited lower-hostility behaviour.
The American Diabetes Association has even suggested stress related to poor relationships aggravates diabetes for those afflicted with that disease.
The health impact of poor relationships isn’t limited to physical health.
A Statistics Canada study released in 2007 found that men were 6 times more likely to have an episode of depression in the two years following a divorce than men who stayed married. Women were 3.5 times more likely to be depressed than women whose relationship succeeded. A “sizeable minority” of these people who experienced depression said it was still a problem four years after the break-up.
Your relationships provide the context and structure that your whole life falls inside of. They affect your finances, your career, your love-life and your well-being. It’s energic.
The quality of your relationships are every bit as important to your physical and emotional well-being as eating right, exercising and enjoying life. Science is starting to recognize this, and it’s only a matter of time before “relationship consciousness” is a mainstay of personal and professional wellness programs.
That’s an important reason Donna and I do what we do. Our “Between Men and Women” Couples Wellness Weekend positively affects people’s lives, relationships and well-being on so many levels.
We’re glad to offer men and women something fresh and new. Simply understanding your partner for who they are as a man or a woman takes away a lot of the guesswork and the stress that is so destructive.
Inner Sync System Inc.’s employee assistance program provides employees and executives with in depth knowledge of who men and women are naturally. Gender awareness is key to creating the stress-managed personal and professional relationships that empower staff in life and sustain their effectiveness at work. For a free consultation on how Inner Sync’s “Between Men and Women” employee assistance program could support your workplace wellness goals call Jason Krausert at 403-455-9351 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 403-455-9351 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or email our office at contact@innersyncsystems.com
“Success is what happens when you do what works over and over and over again.”
Becoming successful can seem boring. It’s a very mechanical process. One expert in success principles explains it like this. He said success is achieved by:
1) Taking an action
2) Assessing the outcome
3) Adjusting the action
4) Taking new action
5) Never stop doing steps 1-4
In other words, becoming successful is about finding what works and doing it again and again and again and again and again.
If you distill this process to one basic truth, it is this:
Success is a habit.
It’s not magic. It’s not the realm of the “lucky” few. Success is available for everyone. This is as true for relationships as it for life, business, finances and anything else you want to accomplish.
Sounds pretty easy doesn’t it? Awesome, let’s all go out and become wildly successful. In fact let’s schedule it. Let’s meet at 4pm for a coffee, we’ll change our habits of relating, create an insanely successful partnership, and then while we’re having such a great day, let’s solve world hunger over dinner and drinks. That would be a full but rewarding day.
The reality, of course, is that success in any area of life is simple, but it’s not easy. We all get that we could have the empowering and satisfying relationships we want if we would just do what works over and over and over again. So why don’t we do it? What’s getting in the way? You are. I am. Our willingness. Our fears.
The Path to Success is Like a 3-Legged Race
You see, we keep getting in our own way. We see the goal, whatever that is for you, and we keep tripping ourselves up. We stumble-bumble along, hoping against desperation that we’ll get it “right” this time.
It’s like being in a three-legged race in which you are your own partner. Your Human self…child-like in its anticipation, expectancy, awestruck wonder, impatience, fear and laziness…trips up your Divine self, sending you both tumbling on the warm grass, coming to rest laughing and looking up at the white puffy clouds. Once you’ve caught your breath, your Divine self turns to look at you, smiles and says, “Okay, let’s get up and try again. Trust me.” It’s the perfect dance.
It’s getting up and trying again that has a habit become ingrained. In your relationship, you have the results you have – be they good, bad, ugly or great – because of what you have been doing repeatedly day after day, year after year, relationship after relationship. Whether or not you move from bad to good or from good to great in your partnership depends on:
- your awareness of your habits;
- your willingness to change or tweak your habits. This will require you to face your fears, frustrations and complacency as well as to challenge yourself to not be satisfied with “good enough”;
- your commitment to turning those new habits into a lifestyle in order to achieve a healthy, vital partnership;
- your openness to new ways of relating and to fresh ideas about who you are, who your partner is and what is possible between you.
Relationship Success Blog Series
Being aware of your habits of relating is the first step. In our experience there are critical habits that can make or break your relationship. In our “Between Men and Women” Couples Wellness Weekends and Retreats we see the impact of these habits on peoples’ lives all the time. Our goal is to have our participants become aware of these habits and to provide them with the inside track on who men and women are naturally so they will be shifted towards habits that move them closer to where they want to go.
In the Relationship Success Blog Series each habit will be the subject of a separate post to be released over the next several weeks.
Now, one last thing…we need your help.
This blog is for you and your employees. We want to stay relevant and useful to your business and the lives of the people who make it work. Future blog posts are largely based on the questions and comments we get from you.
Below this post we invite you to leave a comment and tell us what you think the most powerful part of this article was. What did you learn, and what concept or idea that we’ve shared is going to have a huge impact, and why?
Please post a comment below because we read them all personally. Our commitment is to powerful training that is effective, fun and provides long-term value.
Inner Sync System Inc.’s employee assistance program provides employees and executives with in depth knowledge of who men and women are naturally. Gender awareness is key to creating the stress-managed personal and professional relationships that empower staff in life and sustain their effectiveness at work. For a free consultation on how Inner Sync’s “Between Men and Women” employee assistance program could support your workplace wellness goals call Jason Krausert at begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 403-455-9351 end_of_the_skype_highligh or email our office at contact@innersyncsystems.com
