Updated on: 20 Mar 2023, 16:02 pm IST

Women shoulder multiple responsibilities when it comes to their personal and professional life. Sometimes, too many responsibilities hamper their mental health without them even realizing it. Since they are more vulnerable to mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression, they must take good care of themselves. Remember that there are stigmas attached to mental well-being. But, it is time that women should come out and ask for help if needed. You shouldn’t feel pressured or embarrassed to talk about mental health issues. Here’s a guide to help you know how women can take care of their mental well-being.

Why should women prioritize mental health issues?

From being supermoms to great leaders to caring wives to sisters, a woman is many things at once. Women are the pillar of any family and apart from household responsibilities, they do great at their professional front too. Since they have so much to do, it is essential to take charge of mental health too. Women face various mental health problems that they tend to ignore as they are engrossed in striking a professional and personal life balance. Women often refrain from seeking help, do not open up about their feelings, and suffer in silence. Many women are not comfortable talking about their mental health issues.

What leads to mental health problems in women?

Many times, women fail to communicate and express their feeling, and may completely shut themselves down. This is the reason why it is the need of the hour to prioritize the woman’s mental health and dispel the myths related to it. First, you need to understand the causes that trigger mental health problems in women.

• Having experienced scary and dangerous situations
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Societal or work pressure
• Past traumatic relationships
• Stress
• Genetics
• Underlying health issues like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, heart disease, thyroid, cancer and more.

Symptoms you should know

While the symptoms may vary from woman to woman, there are certain telltale signs that a woman is suffering from a mental health problem.

• Feeling stressed, depressed, anxious, sad, frustrated or lonely
• No interest in socializing
• Excessive fear and worry
• Guilt
• Mood swings
• Low energy
• Aggressiveness
• Nightmares
• Personality disorders
• Behavioural issues
• Inability to concentrate on the daily chores
• Ignorance
• Tiredness, and
• Self-harm
• Failure to communicate, and express their feelings

Also Read: 8 tell-tale signs that your mental health is in good shape

How to take care of your mental well-being?

One thing you should know is that you have to take charge of your life and mental health to be able to come out of the dark side. For that, you need to take out some ‘ME’ time from your hectic schedule. Here are some ways to take care of your mental health:

• Pamper yourself
• Opt for a hobby like dancing, meditation, singing, painting, etc.
• Learn a new skill
• Follow a structured routine every day
• Exercise daily
• Eat a well-balanced diet, including nutrients
• Practice yoga to de-stress
• Join a support group
• Speak to other women who are coping with similar problems as you
• Go for counselling if need be
  Open up to your loved ones

Don’t ignore your mental health because if you do, you will not be able to do your best in your personal or professional life.