Each woman manages multiple and diverse roles dealing with a wide spectrum of mental, emotional, psychological aspects. Multitasking and performing multiple roles, mothers are trying to be ‘perfect’ all the time. It is humanly impossible for each or any one of us to be without error or faults. But being ‘perfect’, takes a toll on the health of women. One out of four women suffers from mental health issues, according to experts.
What is mental health?
Mental health relates to how we think, feel, and act, entertain, determining how we relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood, adolescence through adulthood. It is cognitive disease including our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
Ironically, you cannot make out if a woman is suffering from mental health issues. On the surface, it’s all calm and serene but dig deeper and you can see mothers suffer from, stress, frustration, fear, anxiety, depression or even loneliness. They are compounded but a mix of events and environs and these psychiatric disorders manifest to the surface. The joining factor however could be also compounded by economic volatility. If there is a mismatch of expectation and reality, it can add to the mental health issues particularly in women.
Perfectly normal appearing men and women, especially mothers diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, compounded by stress, frustration, fear or even loneliness should be treated by experts.
According to a study conducted by the Global Burden of Disease, nearly 20 crore people in India are estimated to have experienced a known mental disorder. Research indicates that women are twice as likely to develop common mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression, when compared to men. Ironically, for their mental health conditions, between 70 to 92 percent of affected individuals receive very little or no care and mostly go unnoticed. Since women and especially mothers are primary care givers, they should be aware and address any stress, anxiety, depression or any such mental health issue they may be experiencing personally.
What is self care?
To start off, start practicing self-care to give priority to yourself. It can drastically improve mental and physical well being. First and foremost is acknowledging to yourself that you are experiencing bouts of any mental health issue and second is to address them. But just remember not to over think about your expectations, what is going to happen, and he did this and she said that. There are a few quick tips besides eating healthy and maintaining a balanced lifestyle: Few tips:
- Make a routine. Follow it. Fix a time to go to sleep.
- If possible add habits to your daily routine or make new ones.
- Eat healthy, at regular times. Exercise regularly.
- Living in the moment and be grateful for what you have.
- Be in a state of gratitude. Express gratitude for things and people in your life.
- Get eight hours of sleep each night.
- Say positive things about yourself and others.
- Make new friends and connections.
- Participate in activities you enjoy.
- Don’t compare.
Mental health and well-being of women is impacted by negative life experiences like infertility and prenatal loss, poverty, discrimination, violence, unemployment and isolation. Unequal economic and social conditions also contribute to women’s higher risk of depression. So deal with them by remaining positive and living in goodness of life.
Extra Tips:
- Avoid watching series after series on OTT platforms.
- Maintain personal hygiene.
- Balance time between work (looking after children/job) and entertainment and relaxation.
- Keep off from excessive intake of news.
- Avoid remaining glued to your mobile and limit your screen time.
- Go less shopping. Start looking going for a Minimalistic approach.
Bottom-line: Remember god has a design and there are things in store for you if you are positive, hopeful, creative, happy and do your bit. Karma will do the rest. The best way to deal with mental stress is to be stay happy, be contented and live in a state of gratitude. Slowdown in life! Be happy.