Stress is one of the major problems faced by working women, especially working mothers, in our country. It often becomes difficult to strike the right balance between professional responsibilities and personal commitments. How does a woman keep going despite the many pressures faced by her on multiple fronts? Orissa POST asked a few women about the stress-busting techniques that they find useful in their daily lives.
“I would say remaining in ‘on and off’ mode works for me. Once I reach home, I involve myself in domestic chores and forget about office responsibilities,” says Prachi, an interior designer in Bhubaneswar. Spending a couple of hours before the television is her way of relaxing after working for nine hours at the office. “I do yoga once in a while, but I do not get much time for such activities being a wife and a mother. I have to maintain a balance between work and family. But even if I have domestic chores lined up when I return from office, I still take time out to watch my favourite soap operas for some time,” she adds.
Banajyotsna Sahoo, a doctor from Puri, rids herself of stress by watching animation films on TV or mobile. “Though I love my profession, it is demanding in nature and has its share of difficulties. I watch movies or cartoons like Tom and Jerry while relaxing in my room to de-stress myself,” says the 27-year-old physician. This apart, she never compromises with her sleep, which is very important to battle stress. “After completing my household work, I take a walk on the terrace before I go to sleep,” Banajyotsna says, adding that she is lucky that her in-laws never complain about her daily routine.
A pizza party or a day out with friends on Sundays keeps Sthita, human resource executive in a software company in Bhubaneswar, fresh for a whole week. Sthita, who lives away from home, adds that talking to her parents in Puri after a day’s work also helps her relax. The 26-year-old who sometimes works for 12 hours at a stretch says, “I spend my weekly off days watching movies, shopping or taking a long nap. I talk to my parents on phone every day after work hours, which relaxes me to a great extent and energises me.”
Sumitra, lecturer in a private college in Bhubaneswar, says she wards off the stress brought on by many hours of teaching with a cup of steaming coffee and by watching her favourite soap operas for a while. “Coffee helps me de-stress,” says Sumitra, who also spends time teaching her daughter. She occasionally goes for a morning walk but does not get enough time to make it a daily affair. She spends her weekly off cooking special dishes for the family, taking a short nap in the afternoon or going for a long drive after dining out.
SOYONG, OP
