16 May, 2022 | Seema Rekha
Anyone, who is building something of significance, needs to prioritize work-life harmony. But when it comes to women, this balance is skewed. Seema Rekha, Managing Director of Antarmanh Consulting shares expert advice on how she manages it all.
Time does not discriminate. Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day regardless of their gender or their profession. And any person, who is building something of significance, needs to contribute a significant amount of time to managing both his or her work and personal life. But when it comes to women, this balance is skewed. Studies have shown that professional women face higher anxiety and stress-related issues as compared to their male counterparts. One reason for this could be the society’s continued reinforcement of traditional gender roles, which in turn put additional pressure on working women without providing an actual system that helps them create an optimal work-life balance.
Seema Rekha, Managing Director of Antarmanh Consulting.
Being a businesswoman and leader, this is something I have come to realize —that I have a crucial role in decision-making and my time has significant importance both at work and at home. And so, over the years, I have developed strategies that have helped me become more adept at balancing my role at work, as the Managing Director of Antarmanh Consulting, as well as at home as a mother, wife, daughter, daughter-in-law, and more.
Of course, this is not something that anyone can do alone. I’ve found it’s about working with others to develop the best possible system. Here are the systems that have worked for me:
For those of us who are mothers, the biggest challenges come with balancing motherly responsibilities as well as reproductive health with those at work. And trust me, it is not possible if you don’t manage your time and prioritize. It’s also important to remember that we need to prioritize our health in all of this because without that everything goes for a toss.
This can only come by understanding that not everything is your fault and you need to stop magnifying the guilt of not being good enough. If your son is not performing well at school or if your daughter is going through mental health issues, or if home expenditures are high, it’s not necessarily your fault. And these issues in life shouldn’t take away from the things you do for yourself.