Writer shows way out of harmful idea that “women are multitaskers”

O chauvinism impacts women’s lives in all areas of life and in different ways, including camouflaged. Want an example? You’ve probably heard someone say that women were born to handle everything and reconcile personal, professional and family demands, right?

Juggling is really done by many of us, but dressing up this overload as something divine and even miraculous is certainly the result of a sexist structure.

Gisele Miranda, mentor and author of the book The Courage to Fall in Love with You (Editora Gente – 49.90 reais), studies this myth of multitasking women and the effects it has on everyday life. “This idea that we should be responsible for multiple roles in life is a real pressure on women,” explains the writer.

In addition, the pandemic has deepened this problem, which is already structural in Brazil. According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), women are the most affected by unemployment. For those with children, the challenge has also increased with the stoppage of face-to-face classes. The result of this combination was the proliferation of journeys.

Gisele observes the impact of the pandemic period on the precariousness of women’s mental well-being. 🇧🇷We are currently seeing, in this time of pandemic, how mental health has been affected by the difficulty of reconciling all these roles – home office, remote classes and all activities at home, often not allowing yourself to fail, much less being tired”reveals.

“ANDAlthough many men already see the issue in a different way and share activities at home, machismo still exerts such pressure that we will have to wait a few generations for us to be able to see a different mentality in practice”, says the author.

The unrealistic expectation placed on women causes physical and emotional wear and tear when trying to handle all responsibilities at the same time. “It’s like, at all times, she needs to prove that she’s good at everything she does. A concern that, for the most part, does not affect men, ”she explains.

This pressure is also due to the difficulty that women face in their careers. “THE women still do not occupy a space proportional to men in the labor market, much less in leadership positions”, recalls the researcher.

For Gisele, this expectation also does not respect the individuality of each woman, since it determines what would be an “ideal profile”.🇧🇷THE The beauty of life is in understanding that our differences complement us, and do not distance us”, says the writer about such imposed standards.

Each woman has her essence and unique characteristics within her.

In her book, Gisele lists five points that refute and show how harmful the idea of ​​multitasking women is:

• No one is 100% good at multitasking.
• Multitasking equals overload
• Multitasking favors mistakes
• It harms mental health
• May affect career

According to her, the main negative point is believing that it is possible to reach the “rule of perfection” and overcharging yourself. To the speaker, the best thing you can do to shed that weight is to provide yourself with love and understanding.

“One of the ways to reframe beliefs is to look at our trajectory and scars and be proud of them. It’s okay if you’re not ‘the best’, you need to be good to yourself. We all have strengths and weaknesses,” concludes Gisele.