Stress is To Be Mitigated, Not Fought – Here are Some Ways To Do That
It is a widely acknowledged fact that women get more stressed than men. With tighter schedules as a result of domestic and professional responsibilities, societal expectations and its gender roles, and regular hormonal fluctuations, women tend to overwork themselves. This wears them down in the long run, both physically and mentally.
So, how can stress be tackled and maintained at bay? Let’s find out.
Learn to manage your time well
Shuffling between numerous tasks can be extremely strenuous. As a homemaker, you have to keep an eye on everything from cooking and laundry to kids and their schedules, and unfortunately, there is not much help to bank on. As a working professional, you take on more stress as you have the best and the worst of both worlds to handle.
Time management is your saviour. Having everything planned out saves you the trouble of mixing up tasks or skipping them. When you put things in a structure, you reduce the chaos, cut through the clutter, and bring more order to your work. It also helps you gather your thoughts and be more productive.
Have a support system to fall back on
Build a strong support system that you can count on. Whether it’s your family or your friends, always have people you can run to in times of need. Solid friendships and a family that is always there for you go a long way in instilling a sense of security which helps you be more at peace. This automatically keeps any stress at manageable levels. Also, it helps you stay more focused and maintain a positive air.
Sometimes it is okay to ask for help
Women tend to overwhelm themselves with work. For generations, they have been conditioned to take on work without complaints. This unhealthy practice causes immense stress especially when they have to interact with a competitive world outside. Working mothers take the brunt of it as major part of raising the child falls on their shoulders. Their mental and physical health start to deteriorate, ultimately causing productivity to decline.
Don’t let guilt get in your way; start outsourcing your responsibilities. Share the load and let others pitch in to help you create a balance between your work and personal life. Take some time out to focus on yourself and maintain your mental health because only a happy woman can build a happy life for herself and for those around her.
Learn to say no
As a working professional, you need to remember that while your family and your job are both important, only one can take up your attention at a time. As a homemaker, you need to start telling yourself that it is okay to let some things go. You’re not a superwoman, and you do not have superpowers. At the end of the day, you’re human and you can only take on so much work.
It is so important for us women to understand and learn that sometimes saying ‘no’ is the only option we have to safeguard our well-being. Make yourself your priority, and start being more selective about everything – to the kind of people you want in your life, to the work you want to take on, and even to the number of responsibilities you can and want to handle.
Have a fitness regime
Exercising is a proven method of stress relief. The more you start concentrating on your body and your physical health, the better you will feel. A busy schedule means that you seldom find time to work on yourself, and that is understandable. But that’s exactly when you need to take some time out to focus on your physical, and consequently, mental health.
Go for a short walk, or even a quick 30-minute run will suffice. Doctors suggest doing Yoga to reduce stress levels. Meditate as much as you can and focus on your breathing. Rejuvenate your mind and body, and relax your soul. Pay specific attention to what you eat as well. Consuming junk food, and sugar infused drinks and eatables, will harm you in unimaginable ways. Eat a balanced diet, hydrate yourself, and create a lifestyle that will diminish the stress in your life.
Spend time with your family and pursue your interests. In present times, stress is inevitable, but we can at least learn to cope with it in a healthy way. Be it in your professional or personal life, following these tips religiously can go a long way in combating stress to a significant extent.
(Edited by Varsha Roysam)
