Manish khanna, a jaipur based consultant, juggles a stressful career alongside managing her home, her husband’s hectic social commitments, and the demands of her two growing children. Eventually, she ended up with more - high BP (hypertension) and diabetes.

Many working women, especially in the metros, are caught in the vicious web of balancing their professional and personal commitments. Hardly few emerge unscathed.

So what causes this work-life imbalance?

Various factors influence imbalance and conflicts in a woman’s life. From individual career ambitions to pressure to cope up with family or work, the reasons can be many.

Many women move into a work role not realizing how strenuous it can get. Managing responsibilities in office along with domestic affairs, plus managing young children at home can wreak havoc on health. But for most women it is the intense competition at workplace that is their undoing.

Competition at work
“To stay ahead of the competition, we need to research late into the night and prepare reports or presentations,” says manish.

Work is no more a cushy nine-to-five, Monday to Friday job. With globalization and people working across time zones, the concept of fixed working hours is fast disappearing. Instead people spend close to 12-16 hours every day at office.

Having incredible advances in information technology coupled with increasing competition in the talent supply market has led to a "performance-driven" culture. This creates an enormous amount of pressure to perform. Women also find it difficult to say "no", especially their superiors, and usually end up over-burdening themselves.

Personal and professional commitments
The boundary between work and home too has begun to blur. Ease in communication has resulted in “carrying-work-everywhere-you-go” syndrome.

Although gender roles are undergoing a change, in India women still do the lion’s share of the work at home. Husbands may or may not share in cooking, childcare and daily chores.

How to balance
A lot of experts agree that for many women flexi-time or work-from-home options are most effective. In India, both these options are yet to become mainstream and popular.

Besides, the concept of work-life balance is itself misunderstood. Most women don’t realize that work-life balance moves beyond just balancing work and home. There also needs to be time for introspection, knowledge enrichment, physical activity, social pursuits and spiritual awakening.


Ignoring all these dimensions is what causes further imbalance.

Top six strategies to find a true balance:

• Be a good time manager: Organizing, scheduling and making to-do lists go a long way in minimizing stress.
• Check-up: Pay attention to health and read body signals. Get a medical opinion for delayed periods, bloating, depression, or any kind of pain.
• Diet and exercise: Follow a good nutrition and regular exercise plan.
• Synergize: Taking your child to the park to play makes you exercise apart from spending quality time as a parent. Taking a walk with your husband serves the same purpose.
• Connect: Find time with friends rather than office buddies. Even a few hours spent with an old friend/relative can be immensely energizing.
• Relax: Mental relaxation through yoga and meditation is also a must.
• Know yourself: Finally, most women will agree that the most ignored aspect of their lives is their own self. Spending time exploring needs, contributions and mapping life’s course are as necessary as making the daily shopping list.
Resounding what Oprah Winfrey once said, “Before you agree to do anything that might add even the smallest amount of stress to your life, ask yourself: What is my truest intention? Give yourself time to let a “YES” resound within you. When it's right, I guarantee that your entire body will feel it.”
Manish rawat software and web developer

WISH YOU ALL HAPPY DAYS AND GOOD LUCK
Manish Rawat Andla Aligarh