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Women’s lives face a special brand of stress due to our constant multi-tasking of multiple roles. Here is how to manage stress better.
Women’s lives face a special brand of stress due to our constant multi-tasking of multiple roles. Here are some ways to cope.
Life makes many demands on the average woman: juggling family, work, scores of commitments on a daily basis. It might seem like every other day – of course – but the reality of it all is that it can be exceptionally stressful for the ones living it. In a day and age where speed is of essence almost all of the time, multitasking is but imperative.
Women have adopted many new roles (and that’s great), but the old roles haven’t let go yet. Research shows that working women still continue to do a disproportionate amount of work at home as well. Between running a home and keeping up with the demands of a full-fledged career, not to mention making time for herself, for ageing parents, for friends…it can be stressful, to put it mildly.
Whether it is the underlying cultural norms or the practical pressures of daily life, the demand on women to be multi-taskers is incredibly high. While studies show that women are more naturally inclined to be multi-taskers, it also tells more on their own well-being.
When this pressure becomes overwhelming, it is not surprising that we become anxious, nervous, irritable, even physically ill, and find the pressures of deadline overwhelming.
As a first step, there are interventions we can make in our own lives to deal with stress better. Here are some things that could help.
Often, we compare ourselves to others doing XYZ and feel stressed because we can only do X, and not Y. However, the key is not to look at only how much one can do, but how well you do the things you undertake. Feeling good about the quality of the things you accomplish makes a big difference to your stress levels.
What are your time-wasters? Do you check your Facebook every 10 minutes? Remove the app from your phone. Does your team spend a lot of time in meetings unnecessarily? Talk to the team and work on reducing this time. Cutting down on time-wasters helps you accomplish much more of your major tasks. Some time-wasters (such as waiting for your kids outside their art class) cannot be avoided, but you could use that time to work on minor tasks such as answering email on the go.
Imagine that you met a friend who is extremely tired and ready to drop dead. Would you tell this friend to take some rest, or berate her for not doing more? The first option, right? Then why do we berate ourselves all the time? Don’t you deserve the same kindness that you show others? Your foremost duty to yourself is self-care and self-nurture. Regardless of what work you do, where you work or how much your days are packed, give yourself some time and care. Me-time is one of the most important routes to recharge and return to a state of comfort and good health, mentally and physically.
Who is the one go-to friend ready to lend you a shoulder and offer sensible advice? Every woman needs that one friend who will not only listen, but also offer you sensible advice and a sense of direction when you need it most.
If stress becomes debilitating, then perhaps there is a deeper issue you need to address. In such situations seeking help from the right kind of expert at the right time will help put things in perspective.
Today, the good thing is that as a society, we are gradually becoming more open to seeking help – in some situations, within our friend or family circle, and if necessary, from a professionals too.
If you or someone you know is looking for help, visit seekspark.com a behavioural well-being platform that offers services to enable people with convenience, access and effective care. The platform offers a neutral, comforting and healthy space to speak freely to experts and professional caregivers, from the comfort of your home.
SeekSpark’s over 200 empaneled experts can provide consultation on a wide range of general and behavioural issues ranging from relationships, career, anxiety, boredom, trauma, to depression, phobias, disorders etc. You can book an appointment at www.seekspark.com or call them at +91 9650811114.
This post is supported by SeekSpark.com
Image of a woman via Shutterstock
Founder & Chief Editor of Women's Web, Aparna believes in the power of ideas and conversations to create change. She has been writing since she was ten. In another life, she used to be read more...
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