Stress of Being the Female Breadwinner – Interview with Farnoosh Torabi

In today’s podcast episode we talk about if there is stress of being the female breadwinner. Women have made great strides in the workforce over the years, but we still have a long way to go. According to a recent report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, women are now the primary or sole breadwinners in 40% of households with children. This is a big shift from just a decade ago when only 24% of households had female breadwinners.

So what’s it like to be the woman carrying the financial load for your family? I decided to ask Farnoosh Torabi, the New York Times Best-selling author of the book “When She Makes More: 10 Rules for Breadwinning woman” to talk about this topic.

As the female breadwinner in my family for the past 8 years, I can relate so much to this topic!

Stress of Being the Female Breadwinner:

What happens when the woman is the breadwinner?

It’s a question that many women are asking these days. With more and more women making a name for themselves in the professional world, it’s only natural that they would want to know what happens when they become the breadwinners in their families.

For some families, nothing changes. The woman continues to work and support her family just as she always has. But for other families, things can change quite dramatically.

The role of the breadwinner is a demanding one, and it can often lead to feelings of guilt or anxiety. There are also financial pressures that come along with being the breadwinner. But despite all of these challenges, there are also many rewards that come with this new role.

Are female breadwinners happy?

Brené Brown says that you can’t put a happiness label on anyone. She believes that everyone has different definitions of happiness. For some, happiness might be financial stability. For others, happiness might be found in their relationships. No matter what happiness looks like for them, the important thing is that they’re living a life that feels authentic to them.

Farnoosh shares how happy she is to be the female breadwinner, but it was a conversation that needed to happen before she got married.

What are the challenges of being the female breadwinner?

For many women, being the primary breadwinner can be challenging. It can be difficult to balance work and home life, and there is often a lot of pressure to succeed.

Additionally, women may face discrimination at work or be paid less than their male counterparts. Learning how to negotiate their salaries is a must!

Although there are certainly challenges that come with being the female breadwinner, it’s important to remember that we are not alone. According to a study by Pew Research Center, in families where women are the sole or primary source of income, 62 percent of mothers say they’re very satisfied with their lives. This number is significantly higher than for fathers in similar situations (41 percent).

So while the responsibility of earning and providing for our families can be stressful at times, it’s also incredibly rewarding. We hope you’ll take some time to listen to our latest podcast episode, where we talk more about this topic with Farnoosh. During the interview, she provides some great insights on how to manage the stress of being a female breadwinner and maintain a positive outlook on life.