Depression is twice more likely to affect females than males. Some of the causes of depression in females are societal pressures due to distressing life experiences or reproductive hormones, which differ from a female’s response to stress. A female contributes to not one, but many roles in the lives of those around her. She is a daughter, a sister, a friend, a wife, a mother, and a teacher. She tries her best to love and nurture her family members. Oftentimes, this leads her to neglect her own physical and mental well-being collectively.
In the early 20th Century, most of the females did not have career pursuits nor did they have any particular hobbies outside of their domestic life. Women who did pursue their higher education from universities or colleges were either very young or unmarried. According to the Census Bureau, 20% of the females contributed extensively to the labor force in the home whereas only 5% of the unmarried labor force worked outside their homes. Women were more likely to take up domestic work such as contributing some hours of their day to the family business or domestic production of goods such as agricultural products, crops, milk, etc. According to the aforementioned source, women of color during the 21st Century were twice more likely to participate in the labor forces, because they were more likely to not leave their domestic duties after marriage.
During the period of the great depression between 1920 – 1948, females participated in evolving leadership positions in the Government sectors and they also involved themselves in growing bureaucracies. With the feminist wave in the 1960s, many women began entering the workforce. During World War II, many women had to participate in the labor force to maintain their economy. The 1963 book named the Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan played a contributing role in carrying out the women’s liberation movement that dissipated women from their sexist gender roles.
During the mid-20s, it was also extensively common for job advertisers to put up a “men only,” poster for vacancies or job openings. It was also common for women to be fired once they got married or if they had become pregnant. Law or medicine professors refused the entry of female students in their courses as they considered those careers to be “less feminine” for women and encouraged them to involve themselves in career pursuits that best suited their gender.
Additional responsibilities due to modernization in rural areas have to lead to increased stress and tension among housewives. According to researches, the most common mental disorder in women, especially older women, is depression. The modernization of rural areas has contributed to additional stress and anxiety to housewives or to women from low economic backgrounds. Research conducted on a group of housewives in India showed that 18% of those examined females showed symptoms of major depression, the majority of whom were middle-aged women. According to research, employed pregnant women suffer from low maternal anxiety and post-partum depression as compared to a housewife.
With the spread of COVID-19, many working women were forced to work from home. Some women were also let go from their jobs so they resorted to ways of living that they were not used to before such as – being a housewife.
According to numerous surveys, mental health disorders such as major depression, mood swings, and anxiety became extensively common amongst women, especially housewives, during the first few months of COVID-19.
However, by following specific steps and adopting certain habits, housewives can decrease the chances of developing major mental illnesses such as anxiety or depression during these unprecedented times. The different things housewives can do are:
- Take a Hobby
- Read Books
- Take a Walk
- Adopt a Pet
1. Take a Hobby
According to research, if an individual spends his time doing something he likes, it can significantly improve his mental and emotional well-being. Being a housewife, if you take up a hobby, you are less likely to suffer from low mood, stress, depression, and negative thoughts.
2. Read Books
Spending a few hours from one’s day to read a good book has shown to minimize stress levels, and improve overall mental health. According to research by Dr. David Lewis, reading as little as six minutes a day can help minimize levels of stress by 60% because it helps minimize heart rate, altering one’s mindset and easing muscle tension. Reading helps build up your brain and improves your memory skills.
3. Take a Walk
Taking a good walk in your nearest park, or open area can prove to be a substantial factor in improving your overall mental well-being. According to several scientific pieces of research, walking for a few minutes a day significantly improves self-esteem and self-perception, quality of sleep, and overall mood. It also helps reduce fatigue, stress, and anxiety. Physically active individuals have fewer chances of becoming depressed.
4. Adopt a Pet
According to numerous health professionals, pets such as cats and dogs have contributed to reducing depression, stress, and anxiety. Adopting a pet has also shown to significantly improve an individuals’ cardiovascular health while offering a beautiful source of companionship for young adults and housewives alike!
