How Working Moms Can Support Their Mental Health During COVID-19
Set boundaries, create a worry worksheet, and talk with other moms who ‘get it’
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Being a mom is already a full-time job, but add on a literal job and a global pandemic? It’s no wonder moms may be feeling overwhelmed — and even anxious and depressed — right now. With so much to do and so many health concerns to worry about, there’s a lot to keep up with.
“Working moms are balancing their work responsibilities with home responsibilities, which may have increased with children heading back to in-person school,” said Dana Cea, PhD, a clinical therapist at C&C Betterworks P.A. in North Carolina. “In addition to work and home responsibilities, the season change and shorter days can exacerbate anxiety and depression symptoms that working moms might already have been feeling.”
The pandemic has pushed many working moms to their limits
Statistics reinforce this. Women have experienced 54 percent of job losses since the start of the pandemic, in which some economic experts are calling this period a “she-cession.”
Additionally, a University of Southern California study shows more women than men are having to reduce their work hours and are sole caretakers of their children. Further, 9.8 million women are experiencing workplace burnout, which little to no paid leave exacerbates. And of course, women who are Black, Asian, and Latina have been hit the hardest by these issues.
Now more than ever, working moms paying attention to their mental health and practicing self-care is crucial. But how can they do that?
Setting boundaries as self-care
Cea has multiple suggestions for how moms can take care of themselves. “Working moms can practice self-care, set boundaries, and delegate tasks to help with maintaining their well-being,” Cea said.
For example, moms can set boundaries around how they spend their time. “Self-care does not have to be bubble baths and pedicures; it can be a morning meditation or prayer, an afternoon walk alone, or a bedtime routine,” she said.
