Hello my darlings! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone’s week has been going well so far.
Today, I want to talk about the superwoman syndrome. I know I fall into this mindset, and I don’t think that I’m the only one.
I think we grow these days being told we can accomplish anything that we put our minds to. That we’re capable of everything. You add that to a stress-driven, highly-productive society, and suddenly we find ourselves in the mindset that we always HAVE to be doing something. Relaxation is overrated, and stress is the norm.
A lot of people pointed out on my day-in-the-life WIAW that I have a lot on my plate, and get a lot done in a day. And they’re very much right – most days of the week, I don’t really take any time to relax or unwind. I wake up, go to the gym, go to work, make dinner, blog, and go to bed (usually, a little too late so I’m doing all of this on not enough sleep).
I love everything I’m doing right, but sometimes it’s a little much. Too the point where I feel completely overwhelmed and stressed out about my to-do list – leading to a fun little cry-fest one night last week. I’m not taking care of my own needs right now, and I know it.
I get it into my head that if I can accomplish something, I MUST accomplish it. I can work a full time job, care for a puppy, cook nice meals six nights a week, keep my apartment tidy, and blog five-six times a week (which is a job in itself, as much as I adore it). Because I’m physically capable, then I must do it, no matter the emotional toll it takes. And of course, everything I do must be done perfectly at all times. No matter that I started a new job and got a puppy in the same week (both huge changes) I must be perfectly well-adjusted and capable of everything at all times. Feeling like I’m being stretched too thin? No such thing – I can handle anything.
Basically, I think I have a bit of a superwoman syndrome.
Essentially, superwomen are perfectionists. They give themselves many roles to fill, and fully expect themselves to fulfill them perfectly. They don’t make time for themselves, and when they do, they feel selfish or self-indulgent for desiring a bit of pampering or downtime. They set impossibly high standards for themselves, and reach for impossible goals.
Sounds pretty familiar to me.
I have trouble taking time for myself and taking time to relax. Hell, even admitting that my current schedule is causing me grief and stress is hard for me to do and makes me feel a tad ashamed – I know that compared to some people, my current lifestyle is a walk in the park. I mean, compare what I do in a day to a single mom with 2 jobs and 3 kids, and I have the most relaxed life out there. But the truth is, I’m having trouble adjusting and I’m putting too much pressure on myself.
So, I need to take a step back and reevaluate a little.
- I adore blogging, so that’s clearly not going anywhere. But…I may have to cut back once in a while. I have to stop forcing myself to get out x number of posts per week, and just go with the flow a little more. I’d rather have the occasional skip day then put out something forced – because really, you can always tell when someone’s heart isn’t in it. I would hate for something I love so much to turn into a chore!
- go easy on myself when it comes to dinners. If grilled cheese or Subway become more regular around here, it’s not really the end of the world. Again, cooking is something that I love to do, so I don’t want to just make it another checkmark on the to-do list.
- more me-time. The last six weeks, I’ve been falling behind on shows that I want to watch, I’m only halfway through a book I’d normally have finished a week ago, and I finally got my nails painted for the first time in about two months. Oh, and I can’t remember the last time I had a bubble bath. I need more relax-on-the-couch time, and I need to make sure I get it.
- this is already one of my monthly goals, but more sleep. If that means I don’t get a post finished one night…not worth sacrificing my sleep for. This also applies to the gym – if I’m really tired, skipping it is fine.
I can get a lot accomplished in my day, and I can get a lot accomplished well. But, I am NOT superwoman, and there’s no reason why I need to force myself to be. My sanity and sense of self-preservation is so much more important than being able to complete my daily to-do list.
So, that is my plan. Less superwoman, more sanity. Sounds solid to me 
Have a good one!
<— Bloggers: Do you stick to an ‘x posts per week’ approach, or are you taking a more relaxed approach?
<— Do you think you have a superwoman syndrome?
<— Do you try to find time to unwind on a regular basis?
