Navigating the Labyrinth: Unraveling the Stressors of Being a Woman in Today's World

In the dynamic landscape of the 21st century, women continue to face a myriad of challenges that can significantly impact their mental health. From societal expectations to workplace pressures, the stressors women encounter are complex and interconnected.

This blog aims to delve into the multifaceted aspects of being a woman in today's world, examining the unique stressors that contribute to the mental health struggles many women face.

Societal Expectations:

The expectations placed on women can be overwhelming. Society often imposes rigid standards regarding appearance, behavior, and life choices. The pressure to conform to these ideals can lead to a constant sense of inadequacy and self-doubt. The struggle to meet societal expectations can take a toll on mental well-being, contributing to anxiety and depression.

Balancing Act: Work, Family, and Personal Life:

The modern woman is often expected to juggle various roles, including that of a professional, a caregiver, and an individual with personal aspirations. Balancing these roles can be incredibly challenging, leading to feelings of exhaustion and burnout. The constant need to meet conflicting demands may result in a compromised sense of self and increased stress levels.

Gender Inequality:

Despite progress, gender inequality persists in various spheres of life. The wage gap, limited opportunities for career advancement, and societal biases can create a hostile environment for women. The constant battle against gender-based discrimination can cause chronic stress, negatively impacting mental health.

Body Image Pressures:

The media's portrayal of an unrealistic standard of beauty places undue stress on women. From airbrushed magazine covers to social media influencers, women are bombarded with images that can erode self-esteem and trigger body image issues. This societal pressure to meet an idealized version of beauty can contribute to anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.

Reproductive Health Challenges:

Women's reproductive health, including menstrual health, fertility issues, and pregnancy-related challenges, can have a significant impact on mental well-being. The stigma surrounding these topics and the lack of open conversations may contribute to feelings of isolation and distress.

Sexual Harassment and Assault:

The pervasive issue of sexual harassment and assault adds an additional layer of stress for women. Fear, shame, and trauma associated with these experiences can lead to long-term mental health consequences. The #MeToo movement has shed light on the prevalence of such incidents, but the aftermath continues to affect the mental health of survivors.

Being a woman in today's world comes with a unique set of stressors that can have profound implications for mental health. It is crucial to acknowledge and address these challenges to foster a more supportive and inclusive society. Open conversations, destigmatization of mental health issues, and advocacy for gender equality are essential steps toward creating a world where women can navigate their lives with resilience and well-being.

Prioritize Your Mental Health: Do Not Ignore These Signs of Burn Out

Many of us have felt the heaviness of responsibility. Some of us have felt the stress of obligation. Staying up late to finish left over work or to meet a deadline? Checking work emails and accepting calls or texts while off the clock? Agreeing to do more work to cover for a coworker?

Are the projects piling up?

When these types of scenarios pop up, it is easy to think “just this once”, or “I’ll make sure this won’t happen again”. Over time, the weight of these emotions and dynamics can lead to burnout. In a culture filled with constant stimulation, over drive, and expectations, burn out has become increasingly common.

With mindful self-care and boundaries, we can prevent burnout.

What are some signs of burnout?

1) Lack of Motivation-Avoiding and ignoring tasks, difficulty to instill effort

2) Feelings of Defeat and Hopelessness-Feeling like you can’t complete tasks or even show up

3) Performance and productivity decline-Making mistakes, taking constant breaks

4) Change in emotional demeanor-Feeling sad, anxious, angry, or frustrated

5) Concentration challenges-Feeling easily distracted

6) Detachment- Not feeling invested in or caring about the work you do

If you feel you are struggling with burnout, here are some important self-reflection questions to ask yourself:

1) Why do I feel the need or obligation to take on extra work?

2) What are the ramifications of a decline of performance and productivity on my part?

3) What is my body telling me about how I am feeling emotionally with my circumstances?

Take some time to understand and reflect on your situation and ask for additional supports if you need it. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

How can I heal from burnout?

Recovering from a period of burnout takes time. Instilling effort to recover can often be extremely challenging when you are burnt out and running on an empty tank. Sometimes the best action to take when experiencing burn out is to leave the environment in order to heal, but sometimes you can remain in the same place with a shift of boundaries and expectations.

Here are some simple tips you can add into your day little by little to aid in recovering from burn out:

 Take a break or vacation (if feasible)

 Try to slowly add in some sprinkles of extra self-care throughout your day

 Carve out some time in nature for a walk or quiet time

 Unplug consistently

 Eat away from your desk

 Don’t check emails/turn off your phone after business hours

 Eat nourishing meals & stay hydrated

 Connect with friends, family, or a mental health professional to process your feelings

If you feel you’ve fallen into a pit of burnout, you CAN make your way out of that cycle with time and support. Do you feel stuck and need some extra help? We are here to help. Email us at hello@serenemindpsych.com or give us a call at 813.321.8280 to set up an intake appointment to see if one of our therapists can aid you in your healing journey.

How + Why to Prioritize Your Self Care

In a culture and society that is all about the hustle and bustle, self-care often takes a backseat to things we find ”productive” like work, exercise, and chores around the house. What is important to learn is that self-care is productive, and very important for our health and wellbeing. Self-care helps us give our minds a break and to relax.

Unplugging from the constant stimulation of texts, busy work schedules, to-do lists and helps us feel more into our parasympathetic nervous system and release from the on-edge feelings of always being connected.

Taking the time for self-care will actually improve your productivity- helping you feel energized and refreshed.

• Eat Well

• With our fast-paced lifestyle, it is easy to swing by a drive-thru fast-food restaurant or pick up a grab-n-go meal from your local grocery store. Grant yourself just 30 minutes each week to create a meal plan for yourself. Meal prepping is helpful to create an easy and quick meal that can be stored in the fridge and heated up in minutes. By taking a small amount of time during the week to prep and plan meals, you are saving more time (and money!) in the long run- not to mention fueling yourself with higher quality ingredients and important nutrients that fast food and frozen/prepackaged meals can’t provide.

• Take a Break from Social Media

• Find yourself constantly scrolling? This is a hint that you may be overstimulated or bored. Let yourself rest by unplugging, even if it is just for an hour. Constantly staying connected keeps our brains on overdrive, taking away from the present moment.

• Maintain your Sleep Schedule

• Up late to meet that deadline? Staying up to cram for an exam? Indulging in a Netflix marathon until 2am? When these habits pile up, it starts to take a toll on your physical, and even mental health. Sleep is the body’s way of regenerating, and it should be treated as a non- negotiable self-care routine. Create a schedule that works best for you and try to stick with it. Go to bed around the same time each night so your body creates a natural rhythm. Waking up feeling rested and refreshed will help you feel even more productive in your day-to-day tasks and activates.

• Social Time

• Connect with you friends (in person!) Need we say more? Social time is so important for our health and wellbeing. Feeling connected and that we belong is crucial to our sense of self-esteem and emotional health. Call up a friend or family member and make plans, even if it is just for a quick coffee meet-up. Even short interactions can help foster and nourish the foundation of our relationships and help us feel supported and secure.

• Get Bored; Embrace Leisure

• It is easy to pick up your phone and scroll when you are feeling bored or uneasy. When you’re feeling bored, let the creativity take over. Pick up the paintbrushes and create something new! Or maybe grab your notebook and start those journaling prompts you’ve been piling up. Sign up for that last minute cycle class.

• When you give yourself space to be bored and have free time, you’ll start to remember the things you enjoy and want to engage in more often. Sometimes the spur of the moment leisure activities can spark even more creativity and inspiration in other areas of your life!

Looking for a therapist or life coach to help you on your self-care journey? We are here to help. Email us at hello@serenemindpsych.com or give us a call at 813.321.8280 to set up an intake appointment to see if one of our therapists can aid you in your healing journey.

Healthcare Workers, You are Mighty Warriors

March is already here again and the only thing I can think about is growth, change and adaptation. Weathering natural disasters, storms of humanity, and storms of this new normal life of quarantine. Though I had plans to engage in a blog about boundaries, women’s achievements, and safe spaces, none of that seems relevant enough because we have all had to adjust those things within this past year. 

Today marks the awful anniversary of COVID coming to Florida and making us all pivot our 2020 plans, which have now been postponed for months.

It has been an entire year of recreating the boundaries we had worked hard to set and grieving with the hardships of family members, friends, or community members who have been affected by this virus. But through it all, you are here. 

You are a warrior and a survivor.

Today I want to talk about resilience and growth.

Here are 3 steps to start taking that can help you grow and make your 2021 dreams a reality, COVID or no COVID.

1. Live in the present moment: this is easy to say but difficult to practice. We are constantly connected and our fast pace world rarely allows for any down time. The practice of being one with yourself, your mind and body is one that helps us stay grounded. It is this concept that can help us stay calm in the middle of a storm.

2. Let go of what you can not control: staying focused on things that we can not change does not allow us to grow. This process makes us feel stuck and does not lead to productivity. By focusing on controlling our thoughts, feelings and behavior we can actually accomplish more. You can not control the pandemic but you can control if you wear a mask, when and if you leave your house, and who you associate with.

3. Have gratitude for what you have: giving thanks is always a great way to combat anxiety. By being thankful we focus on what we have and not on what we lack. Having gratitude helps us stay positive and helps us overcome fear.

This is my reminder that you have survived 100% of your hardest days. Every single day that you felt like you could not make it through, or that you simply did not have it in you- you did. When we experience life altering events that are unexpected and last for more time than we could have planned for, your brain might get tired and your heart might become heavy.

Remember that you have done it before, and it only gets better from here. 

This month let’s focus together on what we can accomplish. let us face it, we have already made it this far.