UNITED STATES: A recent survey that was conducted in February 2023 was initiated, taking approximately 600 men and women across the US, and discovered that about 53% of women in corporate environments face desolation, and with time things get a lot more challenging to handle.
CEO of a private group of women in media technology and entrepreneurship, TheLi.st, Ann Shoket mentioned, “This research points to a workplace crisis, a mental health crisis and a pipeline crisis for women.”
“We conducted this study to highlight the effects of loneliness on people’s lives and careers, not to highlight how lonely people are. It’s not that so many women experience loneliness at work; rather, they experience loneliness as a result of their job,” CEO added.
A total of 30% of senior women in the corporate sector state that they do not have anyone to open up to. Two-thirds of these women say they are having hardship in managing their work-life balance, which is causing intensive stress and depression.
Shoket says, “We believe that loneliness and achievement are inextricably linked—the image of the lone wolf leader bearing all of the weight of the decisions on their own is not favourable to female success. Women feel invisible, unsupported, and unable to be their true selves at work.”
Several studies link loneliness to physical and mental issues like depression, anxiety, cardiovascular diseases, insomnia, and dementia, among others. According to a study from the National Institute of Aging, prolonged isolation has the same effect as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Denise Hamilton, CEO and founder of Watch Her Work, a digital platform for professional women, said, “People aren’t as interested in leadership jobs as they once were, especially following a kind of value correction that occurred during the lockdown.”
“We had the Great Resignation, but I prefer to refer to it as the Great Negotiation because practically everything is on the table. Everything is open to repositioning and restructuring,” Denis added.
According to a study by The List, almost 92% of senior-level women who reported being lonely tuned to unhealthy coping mechanisms like alcohol, drugs overexercising, and overspending.
In the aforementioned study, nearly 60% of women confessed their loneliness increased with their career progress, and nearly 53% of them declined promotions or quit their jobs because of the negative impact on their personal lives.
Reaching out to friends and managing time can work wonders in professional life to accommodate leisure time too in a busy schedule. Companies and policies should make amends accordingly and create a space for women who can be motivated.
Hamilton says, “My suggestion is to be kind to yourself and recognise the difficulty that lies ahead. You are not promoted because you work hard. You get the promotion because someone higher up thinks you work hard and has the authority to promote you.”
Also Read: World Health Day: Significance of De-stressing Techniques and Mental Health Coping Mechanisms
