As the evolution of the workplace takes unprecedented heights and people struggle to create a more flexible and balanced way of working, statistics have shown that stress and burnout are affecting more women than men en masse. People have asked why, while many try to find factors responsible for this.
Women, especially those who have children need to grapple with multidimensional tasks; complex set of responsibilities everyday in addition to the pressure of domestic chores and unpredictable schedule and challenges at paid professional work more than their male counterparts.
The effect of trying to create a balance between the home, professional environment and societal expectations puts a mental strain on women. This balance, especially for working women who are mothers, is responsible for burnout affecting more women than men.
A survey by LinkedIn on burnout in women with a sample of 5,000 Americans revealed that 74 per cent of women said they were very or somewhat stressed for work-related reasons, compared with just 61 per cent of employed male respondents.
However, while experts claim not to have a single reason women burn out, they acknowledge that the way societal structures and gender norms intersect plays a significant role in addition to workplace inequalities linked to traditional gender roles. They also agreed that based on research, mothers in paid employment are 23 per cent more likely to experience burnout than fathers in paid employment.
Also, research has linked lower incomes to higher stress levels and worse mental health in general. And because women due to societal expectations and traditionally defined gender roles engage in jobs which put them at the lower rung of the salary ladder, they are more tense and under more pressure, incidences of burnout among women are greater as a result of differences in job conditions and the impact of gender on progression.
A research conducted in 2018 by the University of Montreal proved this when it studied 2,026 workers over the course of four years and found that women were more vulnerable to burnout than men because women were less likely to be promoted than men and therefore more likely to be in positions with less authority which can lead to increased stress and frustration. The researchers also found that women were more likely to head single-parent families, experience child-related strain, invest time in domestic tasks and have lower self-esteem; a situation that has been described as a recipe for burnout.
This gives many women poor mental health and many do not even understand what they are going through. But once burnout sets in, life becomes messy and nothing seems to be working and the mental and emotional balance is on a roller coaster with extreme deep emotions; dread, anger, fatigue etc
And while it is advocated that once burnout is due to career, the major solution is to quit that job and find one that will not bring stress, there is need to consider that this option might be too grave for many women due to the economic situation in the country. So if quitting isn’t an option, what remedies are available for women to manage stress level and avoid burnout?
The first step to managing burnout is to understand that you are having burnout and look out for stressors or stress factors and looking for proactive ways of reducing them. However, some stressors are basically cultural and systemic issues beyond the immediate control of many women. In such situations, the remedy is in following simple steps to maintain one’s emotional and mental balance.
Work on your mindset: Remind yourself of the reason you getting burned out and remind yourself why you took on the responsibility and the advantages.
Create a time to refresh and embrace self care: Lack of self-care has been identified as one of the most significant contributors to burnout and many women are so engrossed in responsibilities that they rarely thing about their own welfare.
Ask for help: Let people close to you understand what you are going through, this may lighten the burden as they can’t help if they don’t know anything is wrong. This will make it easier for helpers and supporters to make sure that no boxes go unchecked.
Have a social life: Have a social time as this allows you to move away from stressors and ease tension by just enjoying the company of others. Social activities are effective ways to send off stress.
Learn to set boundaries: When you are home, leave your work behind and when you can, step away from other responsibilities that are causing burnout. Setting boundaries also includes not over pushing yourself. Don’t be afraid to turn down an invitation on the weekend if your schedule is already full and you need extra time to recharge. Saying no can help cope with burnout
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