Working in an office has its own set of problems. Work stress has become a common occurrence, to the point where it is considered something people must deal with if they wish to be employed. However, this amount of stress is not natural for the body and can cause adverse effects as stress has been shown to affect a person’s mental health, heart health as well as hormones. So how does one tackle this issue, while also not sacrificing their financial well-being? Self-employment may be the answer. Many people these days are opting for it as this helps them have their own time and freedom, while also allowing them to earn a living. Being your own boss might seem like it would add stress, but a new study suggests that self-employed women actually have healthier hearts than those who work for a company. Why Self-Employed Women May Be Healthier Researchers recently reported in the journal BMC Public Health that women who work for themselves showed lower rates of several factors that contribute to poor heart health. These include: Obesity: Carrying too much body fat.Physical Inactivity: Not getting enough exercise.Poor Diet: Not eating healthy foods.Sleeplessness: Not getting enough quality sleep.These findings hint that the type of work environment someone is in could really influence their risk for heart attack and stroke. Link Between Work and Heart Health Researchers explained that there's a strong connection between being self-employed and having fewer heart disease risk factors, and this link seems even stronger for women than for men. Experts emphasized that it's crucial to understand how our work environment impacts our health so we can create healthier workplaces for everyone. Previous studies have already shown ties between the kind of job someone has and their heart disease risk. For example, people in high-stress jobs with little control over their work have been linked to higher blood pressure and heart disease. What the Study Found For this study, researchers looked at data from nearly 20,000 working adults who participated in a large health survey between 1999 and 2018. This survey included physical exams and questions about their jobs and daily habits. The results clearly showed that self-employment was beneficial for heart health risks in both white women and women of color: White women who were self-employed had notably lower rates of obesity (7.4% lower), physical inactivity (7% lower), and poor sleep (9.4% lower). Women of color saw similar benefits, with lower rates of poor diet (6.7% lower), physical inactivity (7.3% lower), and poor sleep (8.1% lower). While it's not realistic for all women to become self-employed, the study's authors suggested that companies could learn from the positive aspects of self-employment, like increased freedom and flexibility. For example, offering flexible work schedules could give women more control over their time and potentially improve their health. Interestingly, white men who were self-employed also saw some benefits, such as a drop in poor diet (6.5% lower) and high blood pressure (5.7% lower). However, these same benefits weren't found for self-employed men of color. This might be because men of color often face greater challenges when starting their own businesses, like higher costs to get started, less money available, and fewer mentors to guide them.