If you’re a woman who speaks her mind and doesn’t hold back when it comes to saying exactly what you think and feel, chances are you’ve faced your fair share of criticism. A lot of people—mostly men—have serious issues with unapologetically loud women, but that’s their problem. Turns out, being a loud woman is actually really good for your health.
- Science proves it: self-silencing is incredibly harmful. Self-silencing is the act of putting your own needs first in every way to appease other people. This generally applies to romantic relationships, i.e. making sure not to upset your partner at the expense of your own feelings and well-being, but it can also apply to relationships with friends, family members, and colleagues.
- Self-silencing has long been associated with health issues. There have been dozens of studies that say self-silencing can lead go everything from irritable bowel syndrome to depression and even increased risk of death—nearly four times higher than women who are more open with expressing their feelings. We’ve
- A new study even links self-silencing to increased risk of stroke. New research presented by the North American Menopause Society reveals that self-silencing women could be more likely to have a stroke. According to the study of 304 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, those who engaged in self-silencing behaviors had “increased odds” of arterial plaque buildup and were therefore more likely to experience strokes or “other cardiovascular problems.”
- Self-silencing is, in a sense, a form of self-abuse. It makes sense that many women who self-silence do so because they’re victims of domestic abuse. However, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes we self-silence because we don’t want to make waves in our relationship or we’re afraid our partner might break up with us. Either way, we’re doing ourselves a major disservice.
- You have to let it out. Having open, honest conversation with your partner isn’t just good for your relationship, it’s literally good for your health. Say what you think and feel and who cares if people don’t like it? As long as you’re not being deliberately cruel or hurtful, there’s nothing wrong with voicing your opinions and being authentically yourself.
- Be proud of being a loud woman. After all, you’re not just speaking your mind, you’re helping your health. How can anyone argue with that?
[H/T Vice]
