14 DAY TRIAL // Over the years, studies have demonstrated that so-called supermoms are at increased risk of developing depression due to their behavior. Admitting that they cannot do it all is one of the easiest, most efficient ways of decreasing this risk, and increasing their quality of life, a new investigation now shows.
Supermom is a term used to describe a women who is juggling multiple, complex occupations at the same time, in an effort to do everything herself. These may include taking care of children and the household, while at the same time pursuing a high-demand job.
Understandably, this can be a bit much for anyone, but these women would not easily admit this to themselves. Rather, they prefer to see things getting down right, and they generally only trust themselves to do things properly.
By admitting that everyone has limitations, and that no single person can do everything, these moms could find it a lot easier to manage things, therefore reducing the amount of stress that is burdening them, PsychCentral reports.
In order to achieve a positive, empowering work-life balance, some moms accept that they will have to renounce some aspects of either their personal lives or their careers in order to make things work. Supermoms, on the other hand, tend to believe that the two can be mixed with ease.
“Women are sold a story that they can do it all, but most workplaces are still designed for employees without child-care responsibilities,” University of Washington graduate student Katrina Leupp says.
She is studying the way in which households manage to balance demands stemming from jobs and families. This is not an easy task for anyone, but some families are more affected than others. In some cases, it may be a good idea for fathers to help supermoms out more.
“You can happily combine child rearing and a career, if you’re willing to let some things slide,” Leupp explains. Her study is built on a survey of about 1,600 women, all of whom are 40 years old and married with children.
During the research, it immediately became apparent that stay-at-home moms exhibited more depression symptoms than their counterparts who let go of some aspects of their professional or personal lives in order to achieve balance.
“Employment is ultimately beneficial for women’s health, even when differences in marital satisfaction and working full or part time are ruled out,” Leupp says, adding that the expression “stay-at-home moms have the hardest job in the world,” is really quite true.