So I admit it, I stress out quite a bit, and as a result, I start sweating…quite profusely. Not a big deal, right? There are deodorants for that, and there’s probably going to be an app for it pretty soon… Well, for a corporate sister in need of self-assurance in any male-dominated, patriarchal-type corporate environment, stress sweat can actually be yet another source of….yes, you guessed right, stress! Back in October last year, the first-ever study of its kind by P&G Beauty revealed that the smell of sweat may actually alter the way women are perceived and judged. More precisely, the order from stress-related sweat significantly affects how women’s competence, confidence and thrustworthiness are perceived by both males and females. Ouch!
While it is close to impossible to avoid stress at work, it is reported that adequate preparation and exercise can help in treating stress sweat, and hence improving the resulting perception of women suffering from it.
As corporate sisters, these are some of the topics that are not easily discussed among ourselves or others, and understandably so…Yet, in an environment where perception unfortunately can play a significant role, we must be aware of these, hence our coffee chat today…
Do you suffer from stress sweat and do you think it affects how you’re perceived at work?
The Corporate Sister.