Food For Thought

Gone are the days when women used to remain at home, while being a support system and acting as a buffer for the whole family. Now, they are also out there fighting it out everyday for professional survival, respect and equal opportunities. For them there is no respite at the domestic front also, as most of the Indian males are not moulded to share household chores or looking after the kids which again shifts the onus to the women of the family.

Women these days, go out to work not only for the money, but for financial independence which brings in the very essence of being self sufficient, leading to better quality of life, boosts self esteem, and generates self - confidence to deal with various oddities of life.

Although, it does seem great on the surface, but the amount of stress, discrimination and abuse the fairer sex faces, is not fair. I know so many women who don't have mental health issues in the traditional sense but are so burdened by life's stresses, and are crumbling under them. This is specially true for young working women who have, household responsibilities, workplace commitments, career goals along with kids to look after, and aging parents who depend upon her more and more with time. All this can be very intense and agonizing. 

Women used to work earlier also, but the profession was treated as a choice and house hold chores and bringing up kids were taken as a major responsibilities by women. The concept of women working full time has come to our country with open economy and liberalization. In today's world, our needs have been overridden by wants, and this mindset is encouraged by the advertising world who play with our emotions, and are anxious to sell anything and everything. To fulfill the dream of a comfortable life, and to provide better facilities to kids, both partners need to work full time. The vulgar display of money and availability of wide range of goods which look promising to make our life easier and better is on rise. There is no sense of fulfillment and satisfaction even after our buying spree as something latest, attractive, and having a technological edge is launched every now and then, making earlier purchases obsolete.

Shopping is also considered as a stress buster, but does it really help? We don't even notice when our need for essential commodities turns into quest for luxurious lifestyle and binge buying which may temporarily elevate mood, but actually puts you into a debt situation, you get habitual of buying without need and may regret later. It also encourages hoarding which is now categorized as a mental disorder. It's great to have a comfortable life but, buying physical comforts doesn't ensure mental peace and happiness. 

So, what are the options? You can't restrict yourself to the boundaries of home for the fear of getting over worked and stressed, but make an effort to seek help to lessen your worries by sharing them. Now, where to park your worries and tensions? There are certain things which we can't share with our family, friends or a partner, as we don't want to burden them with our worries, can't seek solutions from them as everyone has a completely different perspective, way of thinking and their solutions may not fit into our frame. The most dreadful is to hear, "I told you so.."!

You need someone who is a professional, a stranger who won't judge you for your choices, won't ridicule you for your wrong actions, can keep things confidential and won't take advantage of you when you are emotionally susceptible.

So, when is the right time to seek help? Sooner the better, as it is easier to look for solutions when they are less complex and toxic. Problems multiply and get entangled like knotted threads with time. Human brain can tolerate stress up to certain level, and we all have different level of tolerance which can't be predicted. Go to a professionally qualified counsellor or a Clinical Psychologist, and talk your heart out! You will feel good!

As talking doesn't hurt!