Bursting the Super Woman / Super Mom Bubble

Bursting the Super Woman / Super Mom Bubble

Wake up. Work out. Make breakfast (for everyone). Drive the kids to school. Drive yourself to work. Take the kids to all their activities. Bring them home. Make sure they’re doing their homework. Make dinner (for everyone). Be a mom. Be a friend. Be a daughter. Be a lover. Go to bed. Repeat.

Okay, so maybe not everything on this list applies to you personally, but I’m sure there are some others that are unique to you that you could swap in – and then some. As women, we are often expected to do ALL. THE. THINGS. And let’s be honest: our families, coworkers, and others learn to expect this from us because we are so darn good at making it look like we really can do it all! The reality, though, is that with so many balls in the air, something is going to drop. 

When something does inevitably drop, what’s your reaction going to be? And perhaps even more importantly, how are you going to react on a daily basis to the juggling act you’ve got going on?

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

How you react to everything that’s happening in your life will determine whether you ultimately sink or swim. So, what will you choose? Here are a few ideas.

Be your own BFF: Treat yourself like you would a dear friend. That way, no matter where (or whom) the chaos in your life is coming from, you can always count on you. Get started being your own BFF by making a joy list and gifting yourself at least one joyful experience each day.

Practice the pause: When you feel overwhelmed, take a moment to name your emotion and notice where you feel it in your body. Even this small step offers you some bandwidth around the intensity of what you’re feeling, allowing an opportunity to respond instead of react.

Choose gratitude: The gratitude thing is HUGE. Studies have shown that gratitude makes us happier. You get into a feedback loop where as you feel more gratitude, you’re happier, and as you become happier, you feel even more gratitude. And as you present yourself out in the world as a happy, grateful person, people begin to mirror your attitude and respond to you better.

Stop being mean to yourself: As women, we are ridiculously guilty of this. We are so darn mean to ourselves when we look in the mirror! Whether it’s our aging process or our constant nitpicking of our bodies and our looks, stopping the negative self-talk and replacing it with Loving Kindness phrases can help to lift us up rather than beat us down day in and day out. Let’s stop making our own self-talk a reason to feel worse!

Gift yourself with Loving Kindness: When that negative self-talk starts up, try replacing it by mindfully saying things to yourself like, “I am beautiful. I am smart. I have value. I am healthy. I am strong.”

We are superwomen just as we are, not because we can create an illusion of perfection for others. Be grateful for who you are, and be kind to your whole wondrous self.