SAMAR HAFEEZ, BANGALORE
Every day is an opportunity to celebrate women around us, highlighting their achievements and recognising their hardships. If we think about some of the fantastic women we are surrounded by each day, we may feel thankful for their hard work, dedication, sacrifice and bravery. Today, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, we get the opportunity to celebrate women’s strength and resilience globally.
Women’s rights are being advocated across the world striving for continued gender inclusion and equality. Yet, when it comes to women’s mental health, continuing to raise awareness has become more than important.
Mental health is not selective of gender; rather, its impact is felt by everyone. However, the experiences and challenges related to mental health can differ significantly between men and women. The mental health challenges that women face should be understood thoroughly. By empowering women through mental health education, we can break the cycle of stigma and inspire them to seek the help they need to actualise themselves and achieve their goals.
Reasons why women’s mental health needs special attention
Throughout history, women’s mental health has been an offshore subject. It has been misunderstood or shunned very often. This lack of attention to women’s mental health has barricaded willingness and access to mental health support for them. Furthermore, women internalise their stress and rarely show or communicate about their troubles and discomforts, which makes it even more difficult to trace or detect any presence of mental health issues.
Contributing factors
Some experiences that women in particular face throughout their life cycle, which can negatively contribute to women’s mental health are highlighted below:
- Hormonal changes: Unique biological factors like hormonal fluctuations during menstruation, menopause and pregnancy can cause anxiety, mood swings and postpartum depression.
- Weak support systems and poor interpersonal relationships: A lack of efficient and empathetic support systems can make women more vulnerable to depression, loneliness and anxiety. Supportive environments that help women express themselves can act as a buffer against stress and frustration.
- Societal expectations and pressures: Women often manage multiple roles from a mother to a homemaker, and a breadwinner in many cases. Multitasking could cause exhaustion and burnout further leading to depression, eating disorders and sleep disturbances.
- Work or career-related stress: Women often face discrimination, harassment, sexism, unequal pay and other forms of bias at work which can hamper their growth mindset and confidence. Moreover, a lack of work-life balance could further exasperate mental health struggles at work.
- Economic and financial pressures: Women who are caregivers or single parents face more stress which can contribute to anxiety and depression in them.
Reproductive health and hormonal changes: Conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometritis, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and postpartum depression can occur at different stages of a woman’s life, thereby, requiring specialised care and support.
Signs and symptoms
Let us now delve into some of the warning signs of mental health issues that can help women and those around her in getting swift intervention:
- Severe mood swings: Frequent emotional highs and lows that seem unusual or disruptive.
- Constant worry: Feeling anxious or fearful most of the time, even without a clear reason.
- Sleep disturbances or poor sleep quality: Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or feeling rested.
- Racing thoughts: Thoughts moving rapidly and jumping from one thing to the next, making it hard to focus or relax.
- Loss of pleasure in things: No longer finding joy in activities that were earlier enjoyed or that once felt fulfilling.
- Loss of interest in family, friends or colleagues: Pulling away from social interactions and feeling disconnected.
- Fatigue: Constant tiredness and lack of energy despite rest.
- Body pains and headaches: Unexplained physical discomfort like muscle aches or tension headaches.
- Digestive issues: Recurring stomach pain, nausea, or discomfort with no clear physical cause.
- Suicidal thoughts and substance abuse: Having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, or turning to alcohol or drugs to cope.
Steps to take in order to prevent health issues
Usually, women get busy with work or prioritise other people’s needs over their own, forgetting that they are humans too and often require respite or a break.
A vital key to getting mental health in shape is to establish some good habits and integrate them into one’s daily routine. Working on mental health on a daily basis can prevent major mental health issues from occurring in future. A daily dose of healthy physical and mental actions can go a long way in fostering good mental health.
While mental health struggles can feel overwhelming, there are practical steps that one can take to strengthen their emotional resilience and improve their overall well-being. Taking small, consistent actions can make a meaningful difference over time. Here are some steps you can incorporate into your daily routine to support your mental health:
Maintain a balanced diet: Whatever you eat has a direct impact on the structure and function of your brain and gut, and eventually your mood. Eating nutritious and well-panned meals at regular intervals can help prevent exhaustion, irritability, mood swings and weight gain.
Exercise at least 4 days a week: Exercise is known to be a natural mood booster; it helps the body release endorphins (happy hormones), making you feel happy and content. It can also help alleviate stress and anxiety symptoms. If you are new to exercising, start small—a 15-minute walk or a jog can help you unwind and build stamina. Exercise also aids in managing a healthy weight and improves your overall well-being.
Get plenty of good quality sleep: Women, in particular, are more prone to insomnia and other sleep disturbances due to hormonal changes. Hence, it is crucial to get good quality sleep (7 hours of uninterrupted sleep) regularly to prevent conditions such as PCOS, anxiety, depression, diabetes, hypertension, stroke and infertility.
Relaxing and fun activities: Engage in yoga, mindfulness breathing exercises and meditations on a daily basis. Doing things you love—no matter how small or big—can help boost hope, morale and your sense of achievement. These positive feelings act as protective factors against certain common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Get close to nature; go on a vacation: Nature has a soothing effect on the brain. It has an unexplained healing power. For instance, going to the beach or the forest and experiencing different sounds, views, textures and smells can have a positive impact on your mental health. Being wholly present and grateful to God for the beauty of nature can enhance your mental outlook and reenergise you.
Indulge in positive and encouraging self-talk: Being gentle, compassionate and kind towards yourself and others can help you navigate difficult circumstances. Positive self-talk boosts your mood, increases optimism, enhances your ability to cope with stress and strengthens your interpersonal relationships.
Create some ‘me’ time: Give yourself permission to relax and unwind in your own way. Setting aside time for recovery and relaxation can help boost your mental and emotional energy, preventing burnout, fatigue, irritability, and sadness.
Learn to be assertive: When you do not have the time or energy to do something, it’s perfectly okay to say no. Declining an offer politely is acceptable, especially when it is something beyond your capacity or resources. One way to practise assertiveness is by learning to set boundaries. Setting healthy boundaries is an essential form of self-care.
Step 1: Be clear and direct in your choice of words. Use non-accusatory language that respects the person’s feelings.
Step 2: Maintain a calm tone and try not to raise your voice. Express your needs or requests in terms of what you want, rather than what you don’t want, with a kind expression and a smile on your face.
Step 3: Keep your composure and listen to the other person attentively during the conversation.
Step 4: Work towards an agreement that reflects both parties’ wants and needs.
Setting healthy boundaries requires self-awareness. Expectations of yourselves and others should be charted down clearly. For instance, everyone has the right to be respected, valued, acknowledged, and heard.
Assertiveness is about communicating your feelings and thoughts openly and respectfully. Internalising difficult emotions—and even seemingly harmless thoughts—can harm your self-esteem and damage your relationships with others.
Make new friends and reconnect with old ones: Staying connected with friends and making new ones can help prevent feelings of loneliness and isolation. Meaningful social interactions can boost happiness, foster mutual understanding and strengthen a sense of connection and respect.
Participate in prayer and community-building services: Prayer fosters a strong connection with God, offering comfort and relief. It also acts as a shield against the harmful effects of stress, anxiety, misguided judgement, poor choices and tensions. It can also have a positive impact on recovery from mental health issues.
Talk to someone who you trust or seek help from a professional: Many women bottle up painful emotions, allowing distressing thoughts to go unnoticed or ignored. Communicating with a trusted friend, whom you believe can offer non-judgemental support, or consulting a trained professional can be a vital step to begin your journey towards resilience and happiness.
Women’s mental health for a bright future
If you experience signs of poor mental health, do not hesitate to seek guidance. Asking for help is an act of prudence and wisdom—it has great potential to prevent unnecessary discomfort and clear up misconceptions.
Addressing young Ahmadi Muslim women, the Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmedaba said:
“Take pride in the fact that your primary duty is to raise the standards of the future generations by setting the very highest standards for them to learn from and follow… This is a great responsibility and challenge for all of you because you are the ones who can facilitate and unlock the doors to a spiritual revolution in society.”[1]
Here, His Holiness describes women as nation builders—and he is right. That is exactly who we are. To fulfil this role, we must strengthen our mental, emotional and physical foundations to a point where we become unbreakable, passing this strength to the next generation and securing a brighter future for this world.
Samar Hafeez is a consultant psychologist and a certified holistic health coach currently pursuing her PhD in psychology. She is a regular contributor for Light of Islam.
END NOTES
[1] Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Addresses Female Muslim Youth Event (Waqfat-e-nau Ijtema) in London, press release, February 26, 2018
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