Tackling Burnout Head On
Feb 14, 2024
All women are superheroes.
The sheer volume of thinking, coordinating, tasking and doing is phenomenal, but it’s not often good for our health.
According to a survey by Gallup, 48% of women experience burnout in their careers due to overwhelming workload and stress.
All superheroes have a kryptonite and ours is thinking we should be doing it all.
Experts have created a new syndrome (yay for us!) called Superwoman Syndrome. It’s actually not new, Marjorie Hansen wrote a book about it in 1985.
It’s a term used to describe the societal expectations and pressures on women to excel in multiple roles simultaneously.
Women affected by the Superwoman Syndrome are often expected to effortlessly juggle various responsibilities, both at work and at home. It pushes us to pursue ambitious career goals while also maintaining a perfect home life.
I don’t know about you, but I have totally been in this place and had a constant feeling of being overwhelmed and stressed.
This conversation is personal for me.
Tell me if this sounds familiar…
Are you trying to be a great mother, wife, lover, best friend. Have a great career, social and family life. Earn money, be involved in the community, school, and have hobbies.
Oh, and look good. Let’s not forget about that.
That’s on top of running a household, taxiing kids, paying bills, being the primary breadwinner, or being a carer.
Research by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows that women spend an average of 4.5 hours per day on unpaid household and caregiving duties, compared to 1.7 hours for men.
The expectation on us is huge and yes, some might say this is self imposed but I call BS on that.
Societal expectations for women have evolved over time, but certain cultural and historical factors still contribute to the Superwoman Syndrome. Traditional gender roles and the historical lack of recognition for women's contribution fuels the desire to prove yourself to be superhuman.
I’m so sick of it. Aren’t you?
On top of that, in the workplace, women face additional challenges like gender bias, unequal pay, and limited opportunities for career advancement. Talk about additional pressure to outperform and prove your worth.
So the cycle continues.
We suck it up, internalise our feelings and continue feeling guilty or inadequate when unable to meet these perceived standards (even if unrealistic).
Ways to combat Superhero Syndrome?
Here’s what I’ve done.
I’ve changed my mindset from “I’m a superhero” to “I’m learning to prioritise what’s important”.
Following on from last weeks newsletter article I’m learning to decline commitments if they don’t work for me (yep, saying “no”).
I’m establishing clear boundaries of what “self-care” looks like (and no, it’s not getting a facial, it’s allowing myself to sit on the couch for 5 minutes and not feeling guilty about it because there’s a basket of washing in my peripheral).
I’ve had robust conversations with my husband about what I am physically and mentally capable of doing and sharing the mental load of our family. We outsource the rest (when finances allow).
Read the career hack below, it's a must read if you're serious about prioritising.
Most importantly, I am learning how to stop and reflect. Having regular moments of breaking free from the pressures I put on myself and celebrating what’s really working.
Things like the connection I had with my children because I was totally present. That’s worth celebrating. The project I nailed that I’m super proud of. The burden I removed by seeking help with the house cleaning (thank you Tracey if you’re reading this, you’re a legend!).
Have I got it totally right? Hell no. But I’m working on it.
So, what I want you to do is take a minute to reflect on where you are trying to “do it all”.
How’s it working out for you? Is this being imposed on you, or self imposed? Get into the enquiry. That’s the first step.
Then, keep reading on how you can prioritise the really important stuff that will make a difference for you in all the right areas.