Who will bell the cat? – Are urban women really attentive to their mental health? Part-I
How is that 9 to 5 coming along?
Stretched thin at home?!
Hmm, understood; it started with 9 to 5, then it turned to 9 to 7, and now it is a full-blown merry-go-round minus all the fun, plus all the responsibility of home and family?
How conducive is the social structure for women’s health?
In the past two decades, life has changed for Indian women. Wishing, this was also true for the environment for women in the country, which is just one of the concerning factors adding to women's health challenges. Another concerning factor is the challenge of drawing the line between professional hours and personal hours (this is not limited just to women).
Let us step back in time and see if this scenario was any better for the previous generations? The answer is no! Women, irrespective of their earning status (always included hard work), have always been the backbone of the Indian economy, three cheers! Over the years, women’s financial dependency may have changed, but what has not changed is their involvement in matters of home, jobs, and community.
The gist: on the scale of 1 to 10, it is most likely a 4, but that does not mean you have to put your health on the back burner to keep up!
Who are these urban women?
You, who keeps your household and your career turning, attagirl! But do you realize the kind of compromise you make when you skip your meals, supplements, or your doctor’s appointment? In cosmopolitan cultures, terms like depression, anxiety, stress, mood swings, and panic attacks have become part of everyday vocabulary, but how many women acknowledge these or even understand them? So let’s get to it now!
5-psychological effects of overworking!!
Laying it easy does not help the case so, here is the matter of fact,
- Stress: at the end of the day, this body is pure biological mechanics and, it has its limits. Stress can lead to blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or cardiovascular disease.
- Burnout Syndrome: According to WHO, burnout is a syndrome characterized by-
- Energy depletion and exhaustion.
- Increased mental distance from the job, feelings of negativism or cynicism (distrust).
- A decline in professional efficiency.
These can further lead to compromised immunity, addiction, deprivation of sleep or appetite, muscle pain, and strained relationships.
- Sleep deprivation and daytime fatigue: this may seem like a quick fix but, it isn’t. A long spell of either or both may turn as fatal as stress.
- Depression and anxiety: female workers have higher risks of experiencing depression and anxiety. Think of long working hours and not getting enough sleep or rest, irregular dietary intake, being stuck in an unhealthy work environment for long hours, a depressed immune system, strains in personal and social connections can add up to depression and anxiety.
- Addictions: what happens when you are at your most vulnerable spot? You cling to anything that brings respite; addiction to food (junk always tastes better), alcohol, or drugs turn into reality, eventually leading to obesity, organ damage, and shunning a lifestyle that was once full of potential.
The above are not the only harmful effects that overworking can have on your mental health; these are the more generic ones. In addition to these, some conditions may get triggered depending entirely on your genetic makeup, psychological makeup, medical history, and socioeconomic circumstances.
In our upcoming blog: Who will bell the cat? – Are urban women really attentive to their mental health? Part-II, we will discuss the steps we can take to recognize and resolve the situation.
