Pressure or strain caused by problems, demands, or difficult situations; also the emphasis given to a syllable or word when speaking.
From Middle English “stresse,” a shortened form of “distress,” meaning hardship or pressure. It later gained a scientific sense for physical force and then mental pressure.
Your body treats exams and tigers surprisingly similarly—stress is your ancient survival system misfiring in modern life. In language, stress can change meaning: ‘REcord’ (noun) vs. ‘reCORD’ (verb) shows how powerful emphasis really is.
Stress as a concept has been applied unevenly across genders, with women’s stress often tied to unpaid care work and emotional labor, and men’s stress more often recognized in paid work. Medical and workplace discourses historically under-recognized women’s chronic stress and its health impacts.
Use 'stress' neutrally and acknowledge that sources and expressions of stress can differ by gender due to social roles, without stereotyping emotional responses.
["pressure","strain","tension"]
Women researchers and advocates have highlighted the cumulative effects of gendered stressors, pushing for recognition of mental load, domestic labor, and workplace discrimination.
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