A Series on Self Care - Part 1
Covid-19 uprooted life as we knew in the last six months. The lockdown brought all busyness to a grinding halt. No travel, no shopping, stay indoors, stay safe… Our worlds shrunk to the inside of our homes.
It was a small world now after all. No more going out to work…no more waking up early to pack snack and lunch for children, no more driving children to school or post-school activities..no shopping..no vacations..no weddings, parties, or get-togethers to go. With our worlds becoming smaller, our lives as women should have been more relaxed and less hectic. But the reality turned out to be contrary to many of us.
With no paid house help and the enthusiasm of the family pitching in with their share of chores slowing, women took on themselves the bulk of the responsibility of the household. Women became the unofficial health care workers of the family amidst the pandemic, making sure to nourish everyone with timely and healthy home-cooked snacks and meals. Shopping for groceries and supplies became a more tedious project with the added task of disinfecting items. Supporting children with their on-line learning needs seemed like an endless task. Amidst all of this, women ceased to care for themself. The demands and the resulting exhaustion of caring for others overtook the need for self-care in the woman.
Six months into this new way of living, the end to the pandemic seems nowhere near in sight. Life is not as restrictive as it used to be. To keep our family safe, we still hold onto multiple responsibilities. A few do things for the well-being of others to feel in control. Many of us do it because we think our roles demand us to be so. While there is no right or wrong way to do to care for others, it is useful for us to pause and think about what stops us from caring for ourselves.
Look out for this space next Wednesday to know why we sabotage our needs and efforts towards self-care and how one can move on to practice self-care.
About the Author
Jennifer Moses is a Career Guidance Coach at HerSecond Innings and a Counseling Psychologist based out of Bangalore. HSI community members can reach her by making at appointment at Coaching.
Her Second Innings supports women professionals on a sabbatical in their journey of getting back to work. The mission of HSI is to guide women to achieve financial independence. Support from HSI comes in the form of job interviews, reskilling programs in Automation and, free Career Guidance Counselling. Sign up with us and complete your profile to get a call from our counselors to know your job fit.
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