Yes, I am a proud homemaker!

They are always taken for granted. We think they are doing nothing that adds value to others' lives. We believe in the myth that they have got more free time, less work, minimal commitments, and a cozy routine. We often overlook them when they are tensed or overstressed. They seem lucky as they need not get haunted by the thoughts of catching the metro on time or meeting office deadlines. 

Their formal introduction goes like, "She is just a homemaker!" or "He is just a homemaker!". Often the response from the other side comes, "Oh, you are just a homemaker which means you aren't doing anything else?".  

No matter what everyone thinks about them but they are purely blessed with superpowers to be a superman or superwoman of the family. Despite derogatory comments in social gatherings, sympathetic looks, and free pieces of advice from corporate folks, they stand firmly on their chosen path. They are the caretakers, nurturers, and caregivers for the family. They are none other than proud homemakers!  

Very rarely do we take the initiative to talk about homemakers' mental and emotional well-being. Thus, this is a conscious effort to shift the focus on the homemaker's wellness. 

What can be done to enjoy the designation of homemaker? Being a homemaker has put you in a situation where you feel caught up in the repetitive redundant work and you desperately seek a change then let's see how you can cherish the journey of being a homemaker with a few hiccups along the way.

Over to you homemakers...

1. Raise your voice - Your views, decisions, and opinions matter. Hence, don't hold yourself back from speaking up when you feel like giving your opinion. You have equal rights to contribute your thoughts on important decision-making in the family. Have your say in place! 

2. Know your worth - You need to respect yourself first before seeking respect from others. Get to know your true value to let others realize how important your presence is in the family. You are valuable! 

3. Spare some time - Household duties can be tiresome sometimes but take out an hour for yourself daily to do the activities that you love. It will be a good idea to prioritize yourself if you are getting buried under endless family duties, obligations, and responsibilities. Check in with yourself from time to time! 

4. Holistic wellness - Connect to your mind, body, and soul with activities that impart emotional and mental well-being. Yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and journaling will be helpful to strike a balance with busy schedules. Health is real wealth and luxury! 

5. Rediscover passion - Do you remember your passion during childhood? Do you remember any hobby that you enjoyed doing before having kids? It is time to rediscover your lost passion. Try to monetize your passion if possible. Taking online classes on the skills in which you are well versed or setting up a home-based handmade products-selling business might have been on your bucket list for a while. Just revisit your life purpose!

6. Self-empowerment - What inspires you the most? Join the club of people who will motivate you to search for inner contentment. Empowerment gives wings to fly high in the area of your interest. Therefore, find out what empowers you from within. Is that a dance class you left in the past? 

7. Raise standards - Mark healthy boundaries to stay away from toxic people. Prefer to be among folks who value the unsaid and untold sacrifices. It is easy to get carried away by others' opinions about you. Therefore, think twice before accepting the judgments of society. After all, you know yourself better than anyone else! 

8. Seek grace - Learn to handle useless criticism, derogatory feedback, and sympathetic comments gracefully. Many times, such thoughtless acts are done or words are spoken to bog you down, annoy you, or irritate you to stop believing in yourself. Trust your actions and have faith in yourself! 

9. Dump the shame - The guilt of being of no use hovers back of the mind when you choose to be a homemaker. Dump the shame of what people think of you. You aren't useless but your contribution to the family is simply priceless! 

10. Flexible routine - Rigid routines may exhaust your energy. The element of nothing new may bring down the excitement factor. Keep changing the routine to add surprising elements to daily chores. Are you ready for a movie solo date today?

11. Regulate Energy - Some days will be so lethargic that it will take a lot to say goodbye to your comfy bed. Praying or listening to high-beat music will help to energize the beginning of a brand-new day. Get...set...go! 

12. Task management - Decluttering, and organizing physical space is a great mental as well as physical exercise. The quality of life is decided by how you free up the physical space to have a clutter-free mind. Thus, try to complete significant tasks in parts and pieces. Task a day keeps mismanagement away! 

13. Piggy bank - It is often a matter of concern for a homemaker to manage finances. Financial management for medical emergencies, kids' education, household expenses, rent, taxes, and other maintenance expenses can be a challenging task due to limited sources of earnings and income. Having a piggy bank where you can keep aside a minimal percentage of earned income by the end of a month will help a lot. Piggy bank could be in the form of saving money in physical or digital mode. Fund managers, investment managers, portfolio managers, and financial managers can help you the most to bring awareness about financial literacy. Along with that, having a habit of mindful expenses will ease the game. Smaller chunks of saved money can result in significant cash flow. So, save more and spend less! 

14. Emotional understanding - It is the complaint of homemakers that nobody listens to them. They don't feel backed, supported, or heard. Other family members may feel super equipped with their commitments due to which you may feel left out and unheard. Understand your own emotions and learn to regulate them. Solitude, introspection, and contemplation of your thinking patterns may help a lot. It is important what you think about yourself when you are by yourself! 

15. Understanding yourself - It happens that very seldom does anybody lend an ear to homemakers to understand their problems and issues. For homemakers, this could be a miserable situation. Thus, it is important to know that the accountability and responsibility of understanding yourself is on you. The more you spend time with yourself, the better you will be at understanding your core self. Embrace your own company!  

Homemakers are excellent budget managers, finance managers, and family administrators. They never sacrifice or compromise for any rewards or titles. They expect nothing in return except a few affectionate words, consideration of their views, and empathetic actions toward them. They work tirelessly due to endless commitments even during their sick days. They do everything unconditionally for their loved ones. Even during their free time, their mind is always fully occupied with the thoughts of the dinner menu, wrapping Christmas gifts for guests, kids' homework, or planning for a weekend get-together. The thought of doing something for themselves gets buried inside. They never ask anything but they make sure that they give a lot to all their near and dear ones. 

So next time when we cross paths with a homemaker, we shall never forget to ask them these two questions, 

What do you really want?

How are you, really?   

It is our prime responsibility and duty to take note of their loving gestures, and caring acts. A few words of appreciation can turn out to be considerate reciprocation toward homemakers. Instead of feeling shameful while introducing them to our peers, let us take pride in labelling them as "commendable homemakers" with honour. 

Many of us hesitate to follow the voice when our heart whispers, "Let's be a homemaker!". 

Many of us hesitate to follow the true inner calling when the mind reminds us, "Let's be a homemaker!". 

We are subsiding the heart's whisper and mind's reminder but at what cost? That is the point to ponder over!