Whether you are a working mom or not, our daily life experience impacts our well being. There are many complex differences in mothers across social, cultural, and religious variability.
Stay at home or go to work
This is typically an individual decision based on a number of factors 1 or 2 income household, career desire, financial needs, age of children in the home, work availability, support of partner, passion for work and health, etc.
Everyone’s choice in this is different. From the age of young adulthood I knew I always wanted to be a “working mom”. I remember when I entered my career, some women I knew had a baby and decided not to return to work. I realized as my children got older, mind you they are (3 and 7 now), I have had this big desire to spend more time with them and less time working. With my youngest, I have had the opportunity to spend more quality time with her during the day due to my current work schedule over the past year and I have loved every moment of it. I feel like I missed some of that time with my older daughter. My personal goal is to continue working because I enjoy the work I do and helping others, but also having a balance of life and work, by working less and spending more time with my family.
There was a comparative study conducted of working and nonworking moms in India, the findings still translate to American culture and ideals. The study included 60 mothers- 30 working and 30 nonworking.
Let’s take a look at their findings…
Benefits of nonworking mom
Having abundant time with the family, can attend to children’s needs, and time for caring for the household.
Benefits of working moms
Having the ability to follow their passions, intellectual stimulation, experience handling diverse situations and challenges, increase in self-esteem and self-confidence.
Considerations for Nonworking moms
Stressor lack of social life
When children enter school age may experience “empty nest”
Considerations for Working moms
Increased stress due to maintaining traditional roles at home with the combination of housework and their career role
¾ of mothers in work force and 60% of those have young children in the home
Working during the day and coming home to care for family and home, along with spending time with their spouse.
Pressures of work can affect attitude and behavior within the family
Prolonged stress can negatively impact physical and psychological well-being
Stress related to not having enough time to do everything
91% of working moms reports “some” depressive symptoms
Statistically higher anxiety states in working moms
Thought is that there may be increase in anxiety related to feelings of inadequacy and increased levels of guilt and anxiety about their multiple roles (work overload)
Significant difference in depression in working moms
Possibly due to guilt over not enough time for family and children. Difficulty in balancing a job and household, increasing symptoms of depression.
I can definitely relate to their findings of working moms. Trying to balance household, work, spending time with my husband and children. It is a constant “balancing act”. Being present with my family and vice versa of being present while working. Making time for self care and watching for signs of burnout.
All in all, there are benefits and considerations for both working and nonworking moms. It really comes down to personal choice and family situation, along with a personal passion for working.
But I think it is important to recognize the significant difference in anxiety and depression for working moms versus non working moms.
If you are a working mom, here are some tips to decrease your stress
Have a good support network
friends and family to connect with
practice self-care regularly (carve out time in your day to recharge and reset, even if it is 10-15 minutes) it will make a difference in your mindset and positively impact your well being, especially if done consistently,
communicate your needs with your spouse or partner, and
giving yourself permission to let things go,
prioritizing what needs to be done,
identifying what your values are and asking yourself if you are following them
If your stress is negatively impacting your well being and you are noticing its effects in your home and work life, maybe consider professional help. Due to our current societal climate today there are added stressors of the pandemic of navigating work from home, remote learning, struggling economy, loss of our “normal” life, and routine, and anxiety of the unknown and what lies ahead.
I work with moms helping them find balance, be present with their families, and find contentment and joy in their daily life.
Reach out today if you would like to learn more about the services I provide and if we would be a good fit. I would love to chat!
I provide telehealth counseling throughout the state of Colorado. You can call or email me. Visit my about page to learn more about why I do what I do.
with care,
alison
Reference: Adhikari, Harasanker (2012). Anxiety & Depression: A Comparative Study between Working and Nonworking Mothers. Global Journal of Human Social Science: Global Journals inc., 12.