SA’s superheroes need time out this Women’s Month

Women often try to be superheroes, pushing themselves to excel in the workplace while taking care of children and assuming the lion’s share of domestic responsibilities.

There are, however, only so many hours in a day and the burden of stress that comes with routinely pushing the bounds of what is humanly possible can take a toll on one’s health.

“It is common for women to pride themselves on ‘doing it all’, however popular culture sets this up as the standard, rather than an unrealistic goal. We try to keep all our balls in the air all of the time and, if that means we have to put in extra hours, we frequently disregard the possible negative consequences this could have on our bodies and just get on with it,” says Lizette Bester, Executive at employee risk management company Agility Corporate.

“Given historical gender bias in the workplace and its legacy, many women feel additional pressure to prove that their work performance is at least equal to that of their male counterparts. Indeed, they often feel it is necessary to exceed expectations in order to break through the ‘glass ceiling’,” she adds.

“On top of this, gender norming has also had the effect that women are often expected to also take on responsibility for caring for children and being homemakers. The role of ‘domestic goddess’ represents a significant labour burden, over and above their paid work, and this is often taken for granted because it is traditionally and culturally expected.”

The dangers

This is significant cause for concern because sustained high levels of stress have long been associated with a range of health problems, including high blood pressure and insomnia, and may trigger certain psychological problems.

Under stress, the human body releases adrenaline and during long stressful episodes this may interfere with our circadian rhythms, which regulate our waking and sleeping patterns.

“Me time” is not selfish

Bester appeals to women to invest some time in themselves. “Setting aside an hour a day for some exercise and ‘me time’ can go a long way to help an individual to cope with stress. This is certainly not selfish use of one’s time, particularly when you consider it as ‘refuelling’ your energy, which will also benefit your loved ones and career.

The areas identified as being of concern during such wellness days can be followed up with education campaigns that are best structured to address specific employee needs, thereby helping to reduce absenteeism and increase productivity. This has a direct impact on the bottom line.

“Through education and healthy human resources practices, the workplace can be made into a less stressful experience.  Introducing wellness programmes that provide access to both health and wellness services can protect the employees and their capacity for productivity.

“This Women’s Month, and every month, we salute women for their immense contribution, in so many diverse ways, to society. We salute the mothers, wives, sisters and daughters of this nation,” Bester concluded.