Maintaining the mental health of a working mother is very important, because the dual role as a mother and a worker can cause additional stress and pressure. Seeing this problem, MAKUKU together with Tanti Kusmiati, Amd.TW., S.Psi., M.Psi. who is also a Psychologist from Sari Asih Hospital held an Instagram Live with the theme Staying Sane Being an Alert Mom While Working on October 18, 2023. As well as commemorating World Mental Health Day, here is the review:
Can a mother become "out of her mind" after working?
Mental health is the responsibility of all, from spouses, families to the government. It is important to stay healthy in order to be able to work and function socially. Even mental health disorders may be experienced by anyone, whether a working mother or not because each has the same burden and responsibility.
How important is it to maintain mental health in working mothers?
It is very important to maintain the mental health of working mothers. Because when the mental health of working mothers is well maintained, they can do everything well too. Meanwhile, if a person's mental health is disturbed, then they will tend to be more angry, social interactions become less good and all office or home work becomes neglected. Besides that, physical health also needs to be maintained to balance mental health in a person.
What mental health disorders are often faced by working mothers?
Usually what often happens to working mothers is stress and depression. As a result, many of the problems faced either at home or work are unresolved and ultimately depressing. Stress or depression that is not resolved properly can trigger mental health disorders in a person.
What factors make working mothers vulnerable to mental health disorders?
There are actually many factors that affect mental health. One of them is how working mothers solve their problems and lack of recognition of themselves. There is also a lack of empathy from those around her, such as a husband who does not understand his wife's condition. In addition, lack of communication and lack of attention makes them feel alone and leads to psychological problems.
Are there certain characteristics of working mothers who experience mental health problems?
It can be observed from changes in behavior that tend to be silent or vice versa. It is easy to feel anxious when facing problems that in normal conditions can be solved easily. In addition, another characteristic is difficulty sleeping or sleeping a lot. Meanwhile, related to eating patterns, some tend to eat a lot, the frequency and quantity increase. However, there are also those who are lacking so that their weight decreases and do not take care of themselves.
Tips for dividing time between work and household duties?
Ideally, office work should be completed at the office and not brought home. So that time at home can be used only for children and family. Do it by making a list of activities for the day to make it easier to manage time. Then, working mothers can also do me time to make themselves valuable. When you get the award, then working mothers can feel their self-esteem lifted and do home activities more relaxed and better interact with the family.
When is the right time for working mothers to counsel a psychologist?
When someone is uncomfortable with themselves, it will affect their interactions with others. If other psychological symptoms begin to appear such as feeling unable to manage emotions well, sleep disturbances, eating patterns that change and everything that is out of habit is often done.
What kind of support do working moms need?
Many things can be done for working mothers. For example, asking about the wife's condition after a long day of activities to other psychological support such as helping with housework so that the wife does not feel like she is carrying the burden alone. There are many activities to support working mothers, ranging from talking to friends and helping to ease the work.
Tips and tricks to maintain the mental health of working mothers?
Start every time you wake up with meditation and relaxation to give yourself positive suggestions. Be assertive to dare to say no to what we don't want to do. Because we have no obligation to please everyone. We can also highlight toxic friends and environments to avoid. We don't need to be friends with people who make us feel uncomfortable. And spend time with relatives and friends because this is a good support system and do not compare our condition with others.
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