The Super Woman Syndrome
Get up, make breakfast for the family, pack lunches for the kids, drive them to school, head to work for eight hours, pick up the kids from the babysitter, take them to their various activities, make dinner, clean the house, run errands, help with homework, do the laundry, check your e-mail, go to bed.
The Super Woman Syndrome is an affliction that affects many women today. It's the desire to do everything for everyone, perfectly, without any time to yourself. Unfortunately, as women push their own needs and desires further and further to the background, they are quickly coming to the realization that the Super Woman Syndrome is far from super. Women are slowly learning to push the need for perfection and schedules aside - allowing time for meditation, relaxation, and their own personal pursuits.
Where Did the Super Woman Syndrome Come From?
The Super Woman Syndrome is a result of advances in women's rights, the necessity for two-incomes, women in the media, and the instinctive desire to nurture and place others first. You see women every day on the television or in the news that run their career, their home, and their family, flawlessly. That puts a lot of pressure on everyone to follow suit. Women can be just as competitive as men, and often times more of a perfectionist. Even though women have earned many rights, there is still a lot to be won on the home front. Regardless of whether or not they work, women still shoulder the brunt of the household and parenting responsibilities. Add a career into the mix, and it's bound to be disastrous.
Extracting Yourself from the Super Woman Syndrome
If you find that you suffer from the Super Woman Syndrome, there are some small changes you can begin to follow to make your life less stressful and hurried.
• Allow for Imperfections. Make planned adjustments to your day - allowing for some imperfections. The dishes can pile up in the sink until after dinner, the laundry can get done on Saturdays, and your children don't need to be signed up for every activity available in their age group.
• Pick Your Battles. With yourself that is! You don't have to make your daughter's birthday invitations, bake the cake, and clean the house yourself - unless you enjoy it and it's a stress reliever. Pick one or two things you enjoy to do, and enlist the help of others (professionally or family) for the rest.
• Set Your Priorities. If spending time with your children is a priority, make sure to include it in your schedule. Don't find yourself at the end of the day, tucking them into bed, and realize that you rushed around all day without talking to them.
• Give Yourself Permission. You need to accept permission from yourself to be less than perfect. Do everything as well as you can, but you don't need to be perfect at every role you take on.
• Take Time For Yourself. Schedule in some "me time". Take up a new hobby, take a class at school, go the gym, or take 15 minutes to meditate. Whatever you enjoy, start integrating it into your life so that you have some time to relax and take stock of what is important to you. Pick activities that make you feel good about yourself, and promote a positive attitude for tomorrow. Martial Arts is a great activity that relieves stress, get you in shape and teaches you important life skills that sometimes as we hurry along, we forget. Premier Martial Arts has a great adult program that changes lives in positive ways and teaches us how to become successful and healthier in today’s demanding world!
Author: Diana Griffin
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Premier Martial Arts Walla Walla
Posted on December 19, 2005 03:12 |
Fitness / Exercise
