Whether we realise it or not, I think we ladies are all trying to be superwoman. It doesn’t matter whether you have a partner or not, most women are trying to do it all because they feel they should. As women, we celebrate the image of the ‘independent woman.’ In this day and age, a woman can now say, ‘I can do anything,’ and really believe it. The problem is somewhere along the way I think this message has become confused with, ‘I can do everything and all at once!’
Because this is a near impossible task, no matter how much we achieve in any day, week, month or year, we are always left feeling less superhero and more super guilty and super exhausted.
Trying to do everything
One of the problems is we feel like we should be doing everything because the women we see in the media seem to be able to do it.
Secondly, we actually want to do everything.
We want to work, have a family, have a social life, have the perfect house, be in control of our own finances, workout and look amazing! Of course, we can do all of these things individually and do them well! But trying to be on top of all these things at the same time with no help? Much more difficult and draining.
Learning to prioritize
Man or woman we all work hard and have pressures we place upon ourselves. The problems arise when we let the guilt of not being able to get everything done get in the way of rest and relaxation. We forget to appreciate what we have already achieved.
I definitely don’t have all the answers here as trying to be superwoman is something I deal with on a regular basis. It’s so silly because there is only me that places these ridiculous demands on myself, no-one else!
What I do know though is we need to take a step back sometimes and prioritize the things that need doing, the things we really want to achieve. Is it going to be the end of the world if you don’t do X, Y or Z today? Can something wait? Would your day off be better spent with a well-earned rest or do you actually have the energy to do that task you need to do?
Holding on to ‘me-time’
The key here is making the right choices. Often, it’s ‘me-time’ that goes out of the window to make time for other things. Going to an exercise class you enjoy for example is so easy to skip when you’re busy because missing it doesn’t have an instant negative impact.
But I ask you, in the long run what is more important than your health? Why should you always have to side-line something you do just for you?
The things we do for ourselves and the things we do in our downtime should always remain where possible. Becoming run down because you are not giving yourself a break doesn’t do anybody or anything any favours. All aspects of your life will suffer if you don’t recharge your batteries.
It’s not easy but try to be realistic with your time and energy levels. Don’t attempt to do it all and ask for help when you need it. You can be super without being superhuman!
