Why are women feeling so stressed?

Women are worried. Very, very worried. About their stock investments, balloon mortgage payments, job security.

Men are, of course, worried too, but economic stress could be taking a greater health toll on women, according to a survey of more than 2,500 people released earlier this month by the American Psychological Association.

The survey found that 80 percent of folks say the economy is a significant source of stress, up from 66 percent in April.

Women, though, were more likely to report being stressed about money - 83 percent of them compared with 78 percent of men. Female baby boomers (ages 44 to 62) and seniors (over 63) were most likely to report being worried over the economy, likely they need to draw from their investments and retirement funds to send the kids to college and to live on.

A survey of 104 women from Bettyconfidential.com found that half of the respondents are experiencing a general sense of fear and concern, while nearly 1 in 5 is suffering insomnia. One survey taker said: "I don't sleep more than four hours a night. I get headaches. I worry that my kids can't go to college, and my doctor now has me on anti-anxiety meds. (Thankfully, they're cheap!)"

But all worrying without taking meaningful action gets you is migraines, neck pain, tummy troubles, and an ill-functioning immune system incapable of fending off colds and other infections. So, once you've established a financial game plan for riding out this crisis, it's time to get proactive about putting aside those worries.

The American Psychological Association recommends the following:

• Tune in, but don't submerge yourself. You obviously can't stick your head in the sand and avoid all news reports. But you shouldn't be checking the stock markets every 10 minutes throughout the day.

• Recognize how you deal with money-related stress. Are you eating more? Imbibing too much? Have you taken up smoking or gambling? Sometimes, just having the self-awareness is all you need to put down the beer or bag of chips. If you need help in finding more healthful ways to deal with stress, consider talking to a professional.

• See hardship as an opportunity for growth or change. As Dickens wrote in "Tale of Two Cities": "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Maybe that teaching job will give you more joy in the long run than hedge-fund trading. Tara Parker Pope points out in a New York Times piece that kids may be healthier in leaner economic times just by having their parents around more.

• Use stress as an excuse to exercise. Exercise is a fabulous stress reliever in addition to all its other health benefits. Taking a brisk walk outside will reduce stress hormone levels and take your mind off falling stock prices. It will also ramp up your energy and help you sleep better at night.