Homemaker, this a term is generally used for the member of the family who stays home and gives life to it by supporting and taking care of it. The term is generally used for females who are housewives and mothers who stay at home, invest their time and energy in making a home come alive and take care of everyone living in the family. We all have someone working in the kitchen or doing random household chores. What if you are the one doing all the work? What amount of work, energy, time and investment is that? Is it valued? How that can make one stressed and anxious?
Every work that one does has some value or importance for it. People are really truly passionate about their jobs and the work they are involved in. Same goes with the house makers. Even though it is an unpaid job, still it is done with intentions of love, care, and compassion. It is a responsibility which not everybody wants to do and also the fact that everyone is not equipped with a certain type of temperament required to handle this type of work and stress resulting from it. Like each and every individual has a set of skills in which he or she is an expert. House making is again a task that not just requires time but a lot of psychological aspects are also involved in it like cognitive aspects – judgment, decision making, and perception formation, critical think and so on. These could sound questioning but they are involved in the process. Physical work is there which leads to a certain type of stress or becomes one of the factors with other psychological concerns. As this time of pandemic, there have been drastic alterations in life and responsibilities. The workload for the home makers has increased. How a break is required or our hardworking homemakers and how can we provide them with a break in such a situation of pandemic?
Family is like an institution consisting of different positions and levels. Each and every position has its own set of roles and responsibilities. It is known that it is very important for individuals to work and operate on the given level to maintain the balance. Family is no less than that. In a situation of an ongoing pandemic, people are not going to their offices on a regular basis. Also the kids are having online classes and not going to school. It’s like all the people are stuck together and this aspect in itself is stressing because it sort of disrupts the functioning even though changes are being made to keep us with the amount of work and other responsibilities. It is important to understand that each and every individual has a different level or an extent to which one can handle the changes or the level of stress experiences. Work load and responsibilities have increased. The helpers appointed at home who take care of a specific chunk of work, which is also not happening which has ultimately added to the physical efforts. Most of the members are at home they are also experiencing their set of stress emerging from the changes or the uncertainties that came up in the recent time. Kids are facing their own set of issues as they are restricted in the boundaries of their homes. They have become irritable and impatient. One might think that these issues are not for the person who is looking after the home but in a way it is. It is like a cycle.
Homemakers are generally having high empathy, sympathy and a nurturing nature which makes them feel connected to the problems of the other members of their family. Consider any problem, homemakers think about it and take the load of it. Initially, even if they choose not to take it at that extreme level yet eventually they end up being concerned about it because of their nature and dominant emotional traits of their personality. Also, they believe in shared happiness and in most of the cases they derive their happiness from the other members of the family. A person at such a position has a motherly nature which is selfless and caring. We share a collective unconscious and the understanding of the identity of the term ‘mother’ is universal and known. How can they take a break and do they even have time for it?
It can look pretty twisted because break can be anything like going for a little walk, talking to neighbors, sitting in a park or just going for an outing once in a while. Even doing nothing is something they need to do. The choices are subjective, but it is essential to absorb that a break is a break and not something which makes an individual over think and induce restlessness. It is important to take a break because it is an indispensible requirement of our body, brain and mind. It is also required to give mind a clear space to think effectively and to boost the productivity by restoring energy and motivation. Another aspect is to avoid burnout. According to help guide, burnout is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by exercise and prolonged stress. Over work without considerable amount of breaks can result in a burnout. It is a healthy habit to take a break as it keeps us going. What are some ways in which it can happen and a break that is effective in nature? If a break is being taken then it should be treated like that and not a time to think about work and other stressing things or their solutions. A little amount of time which made you feel relaxed and fresh is what we are concentrating on here. It can be as simple as enjoying a good cup of tea. Yes it can be a bit surprising but the joy which is derived from those few minutes, that is the aspect which is cherished. Try to take out some time for yourself. It is the initial step, once you got that time then anything can be done. It can be watching a movie, reading a book, pampering yourself or even taking a small nap. Sleeping is what most of us use as a coping strategy and it is effective as short term solution as it calms down the entire system of mind and body. There some common relaxation techniques that have positive results such as deep breathing and muscle relaxation. It is not always that all people like to do things just by themselves, specifically home makers. They feel happier when all the members of the family are enjoying together and having a good time. If, that is something which works, then why not? It is about spending time that is free of any negativity or tensions. Having such a time with family is ultimately going to have its benefits not just at individual level but also in a holistic manner as it will promote a positive family dynamics and a healthy space for the family.
All that is required for you is to take a step back and relax. It can be your choice how you like to do it but then you need to “do it”. It is not just about giving yourself some time but also letting yourself appreciate the fact that you also need it. Everyone has a different way of perceiving things and has multiple opinions, but one thing that we all know that, it is important to rest and let our body and mind recover from the damage done by the constant work. Physical exhaustion can be recovered easily if we compare it mental exhaustion as it requires double energy. It gets important to take minor steps that can avoid the major damage. For someone who thinks about others more than themselves, having a “me time” could make them think that it is selfish thing, but actually it is not. It is the biological need of your brain and your body. More than that, it is something that you simply deserve and should get to lead a healthy and positive life.
So, take a pause all you homemakers. Give yourself some love. You need it. You have always stood by us. We all are so very proud of you. We are lucky to have you working so hard to keep our families on track. We love you. Now, RELAX. ENJOY YOUR TIME.
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