With women’s increasing involvement in education and employment, there is a paradigm shift in their role in society. They have been seen switching roles between home and work that puts lots of psychological pressure on them.
Mental health experts, however, find this challenge a situation that works as a healthy disconnect for them.
Resilience is seen in women with the ability to adapt to challenges that each day brings in, but what is important is not to take emotional and stress baggage from home to work and from work to home. In other words, leave the baggage at the door.
“We wear different masks and this actually is healthy because we get to break the routine. You have to be a role model for this change.
“This is called resilience — being able to adapt to accept the challenges we are facing. For example, if you are frustrated and stressed out at work, then convey this vibe to home, it is not going to be a healthy environment. You will lose connectivity with the family members. So it is important for any woman to take care of herself as well as boost her energy with food thoughts and having friends with a positive attitude,” Dr Amira Raidan, Head of Mental Health, Non-Communicable Diseases Department at the Ministry of Health, said.
She points out that boosting energy does not just happen by thoughts alone. Eating healthy food would not just brighten up your thoughts as well as the skin and boost your energy filling your body and soul with positivity.
Exercise at least twice a week does all this, especially for your respiratory system which is especially needed now as we fight the pandemic.
better understanding
Group activities or hobbies have their benefits — they bring people together enhancing a better understanding of the feelings of the family members.
“All of this comes under positive thinking. The quality of your self-care will reflect on others,” she explained.
Are working women better at self-care or are the homemakers better at self-care?
“Actually, the homemakers are better off because I work and I have taken a break because I need time for myself just to recharge and reset my goals and priorities as well as complete pending tasks. I think the woman at home can do much more than the working women because we are overwhelmed with work and depending on the personality of the ladies they could be worrying about the work at home and the cycle never ends,” noted Dr Amira.
She added she feels the homemakers can be better off at setting up goals with effective time and also have a relaxed zone to think and reflect.
sensitive issue
However, stress or depression has taken a toll on few women who gave into substance addiction. A sensitive issue because women are closely interlinked with families.
“This is why the advice is to stay away from peers and friends who are influencing you negatively. Women do overcome and they go back to society and resume their careers but they mustn’t go back to previous friends who got them to this stage in the first place. That is the only way to avoid a relapse.
“This is what I have to say. Seek help because there are so many ways to get to live and no one will judge them. It is part of the life cycle. We all have our share of success and failures. Do not stay in the zone of desperateness and hopelessness. Ask for help, we are all here to do just that,” reassured Dr Amira.
According to her, the starting point is acceptance. “We need to accept ourselves and accept our surroundings so that it will minimise your rejections from all the negative vibes that will come to you. You will be immune to all the criticisms that you might come across. So acceptance of yourself is very important,” she stressed.
Talking with your inner self from time to time is healthy, suggested Dr Amira. “Just spare at least five to ten minutes a day or twice a week just to find out where you are standing — Am I in the same path of acceptance or do I have some sense of rejection that blames me from doing things?
“If I am constantly rejecting everything I would be stressed all the time. So it is very important to be in the zone of well-being with resilience starting with acceptance. Just like with Corona at first, we rejected it and asked ourselves, ‘why us’? But now we are slightly in the comfort zone but with precaution. And we have accepted all the precautions of the face mask, hand sanitisers, washing hands regularly and avoiding gatherings,” she said.
At the top of all the suggestions, she suggests practicing meditation every day.
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