Seminar on women’s mental health in Chümoukedima highlights stress statistics and challenges faced by women in ministry and society.
Share
DIMAPUR — A seminar on “Women’s mental health” was held at Er. Khetovi Lagha Akighini Ki, Ikishe in Chümoukedima, on Saturday, where statistics indicating high levels of stress among women in India were highlighted.
Dr. Nouzhienino Peseyie, HoD Psychology, Tetso College, Chümoukedima, shared that research shows about 41.2% of women in India are under chronic stress based on 2025 statistics. Nationwide, that accounts for about 1.3 million women.
She also stated that 47% are struggling with insomnia while 57% suffer from burnout due to tension. Out of three women, only one says they actually get time to rest.
The seminar was organised by Lapiyecentre for mental well-being in collaboration with Prodigals Home and Peren Touch.
Also read: Fazl Ali College organises awareness programme on e-waste management
Speaking as the resource person, Dr. Peseyie empathised with pastors' wives and ministry supporters, acknowledging the anxiety that comes with heavy workloads.
She recognised the weight of responsibilities that come with being a pastor's wife but also highlighted the honour and privilege it is to serve alongside their husbands in ministry.
Empathising with the workloads and stress they carry, she said stress is not always bad and explained that there are three types: distress (the bad one), neutral stress, and eustress (the good one).
She described eustress as a motivator that pushes individuals to prepare and perform well, urging attendees to view it as a pre-event adrenaline rush that helps fuel positive outcomes.
She further told participants that none of us can avoid burnout or stress. Stress is a natural part of life. As human beings, as long as we have blood running through our veins and are living, it remains a part of life.
Quoting the American Psychological Association's definition, she said stress is a physiological and psychological response to internal and external stressors.
Dr. Peseyie explained that stress is what our physical body experiences along with our psychological or thought processes, decision-making, and cognitive processes. It can come from outside or inside, and the combination of these is called stress.
On the other hand, she said distress is a form of negative stress characterised by intense anxiety and pressure that can manifest physically or emotionally. While stress itself is a neutral combination of pressure and anxiety, distress is the prolonged version that can impact daily life.
Acknowledging the role of pastors' wives, who often shoulder multiple responsibilities such as managing family, finances and other tasks while their husbands are engaged with church duties, she described it as a challenging balance made tougher by varying levels of church support.
Dr. Peseyie also said that being a woman in ministry often means putting others first, sacrificing personal and family time, and shouldering the weight of expectations.
She added that the ‘pastor's wife’ label can be overwhelming, with every action reflecting on their husband and the church. It can be isolating at times, with stress and blame piling up. Every move is scrutinised and judgments are constant.
Extravagant celebrations taking toll on Naga society
Special guest and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Dimapur, Y Ruth Muru said the 21st century’s culture of urgency, driven by rapid technological change, is pushing people to constantly chase “bigger and better” standards, where today’s best may not be enough tomorrow.
She noted that society now faces two “sicknesses” — rushing and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) — which fuel the pressure to keep up with rising expectations.
Pointing to Naga society, she said extravagant weddings, birthdays, engagements, and conferences are creating a culture of excess. While not judging individuals, she warned that normalising such expectations puts pressure on others, leading to financial strain, time pressure, health stress, and eventual burnout.
She also addressed the culture of comparison, saying it often leads to discontentment. Instead, she encouraged people to embrace simplicity and contentment, adding that these are often misunderstood as natural traits but are actually values that must be consciously practiced.
"Simplicity and contentment sound very simple, but are they really?" she asked, noting how people often attribute simple living to upbringing or family background.
However, Muru shared that simplicity is a conscious choice and not an acquisition. It is rather a character that we should achieve and a skill that we should acquire.
“To live simply and contentedly, we have to be disciplined and super brave” she remarked as she asserted that it is about going against the grain, choosing a path that is often overlooked in today's world.
She further emphasised that embracing simplicity and contentment requires bravery, as it means going against the societal norm of wanting more, better, and fancier.
To live simply, one must stand out, be happy with less and remove the unnecessary to make space for what is truly important. She remarked that "simplicity means the process of removing the unnecessary so that the necessary can speak".