According to Stats SA, some 42% of SA homes were female-headed – with numerous roles and responsibilities to fill, from caregiving to work obligations, it’s clear why according to DebtBusters’ Money-stress Tracker Survey, work-life stress among women recorded at 44%, compared to 36% among men.

Men and women share many origins of stress, such as issues in job safety, working from home, health, relationship or family, with finances being the most common stressor. This leads to dealing with high levels of stress and the constant release of adrenaline and cortisol (the stress hormone) severely impacting peoples’ well-being.

A recent study by Deloitte shows 40% of South African women feel burnt out, while 51% feel their stress levels are higher than a year ago. Stress manifests itself in physical, emotional and psychological symptoms. The most common are sleep problems, constant fatigue, an unbalanced digestive system, increased appetite and eating unhealthy foods. Other symptoms in women may also include headaches, anger and unhappiness.

“The first step in managing stress is recognising it exists.”, said pharmacist and complementary medicines expert, Giulia Criscuolo. The next step is changing habits to relax the mind and body. Women can manage stress by practising therapeutic self-care strategies like breathing exercises, meditation, creativity and working on internal behavioural patterns to improve them.

Criscuolo said, “I recommend supportive homeopathic medicines such as Sédatif PC®, formulated to combat the consequences of anxiety and emotional conditions to help restore your calm during the day for better sleep at night. Because it's homeopathic, anyone - including adults, children, and the elderly - can use it.” Manufactured by Boiron, world leader in homeopathic medicines, Sédatif PC® is non-habit forming, does not cause drowsiness, has no contra-indications with other medicines and may be used by individuals on chronic medication.

Now available at Wellness Warehouse, Dis-Chem, Clicks, selected pharmacies and health shops.