Women are not okay. I believe we’re dealing with a silent epidemic of stress amongst modern women that demands our attention. A couple of weeks ago I shared my growing concern over the silent struggle many high-performing women are currently facing on my Instagram stories. This came about after a number of friends, executive coaching clients, speaking delegates and colleagues confided in me in recent months that they were stressed. Really stressed. These women are battling stress, feeling perpetually overwhelmed and are chronically exhausted as a result. Women are not okay. The response to my Instagram story was immediate and intense. My DMs filled up with messages from clients and friends, from followers and from fellow-women whose concerned friends had tagged them on the post. I’ve had school mums stop me at school drop-off and pick-up times to say what I shared deeply resonated with them and that they were relieved that they weren’t the only one feeling this way. Two Saturdays ago I even? had a grateful mum stop me as I was walking into the stadium, to watch my eldest son’s football grand final, to say ‘thanks’ from behind a wall of tears and then sob on my shoulder as she reached out for a cuddle. Women are not okay. At the speaking engagements I’ve had? over the past two weeks, I’ve had a number of women approach me and tell me that they too are struggling with stress. They’ve thanked me for tackling a topic that many women are experiencing and enduring, yet is rarely discussed or acknowledged in public. Despite their ambitious and composed facades, many (not all) women are crumbling behind the scenes, feeling stressed because they’re stretched in a myriad of directions. Women are not okay.
Wow - I was feeling the stress as I enacted the end of soccer season gift for the coach that I volunteered to do because no one else... When I finally paused for a moment on Sunday I relaxed for a moment to sit down as I ordered toilet paper on my phone ?? . I was relieved when I handed over the booking of vacation care to my husband. Women could do it all but we can't really do that and thrive. #sharetheload Thanks for sharing all these practical tips!
Thanks for sharing this Kristy. This ties in to exactly why alcohol use disorder in women has increased over 80% in the last 30 years. Women are more stressed than ever and often using alcohol as a way to “switch off” because of the numbing relief alcohol offers initially, but without realising it increases levels of cortisol. Thank you for sharing this
It's so true. And important to be vulnerable and support one another. I burnt out 9 years ago and am now a burnout specialist and am hearing more women unable to cope with the demands of work, parenting, etc. It's vital to check in with ourselves and not neglect our own needs, and reach out for help. Thanks for raising awareness.
Absolutely brilliant Kristy. Thank you for highlighting this critical issue and outlining some really valuable solutions ??
Thanks for sharing ??
Wow this is an incredible, data driven write up of the problem and solution of why women are stressed and stretched. Thank you so much for sharing Dr Kristy Goodwin, CSP
Your article could not be more accurate. Thank you for sharing and helping us all ????
Wow this is an outstanding piece of work! Thank you. Concerning, profound and mobilising all in one.
Great article Dr Kristy Goodwin, CSP thanks for speaking up on behalf of all of us!
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5 个月Brilliant, comprehensive article Dr Kristy Goodwin, CSP. You have done a fantastic job of identifying the problem, why it exists and the impact. Then given us solutions. Your belief about women not being okay is one I wholeheartedly share, and I first identified the signs over a decade ago. Running my personal training business back in 2012, I specialised in training and supporting women and could see the pattern around over work, overwhelm and assigning a lower priority level to themselves in terms of wellbeing practices. I worked with high performers and while living in Beijing, my clients were international embassy staff, partners in the big 4 accounting firms and leaders in big business and could see their wellbeing was suffering. This is what set me on the path on a 3 year research project to find explanations and solutions and resulted in my book. The Gender Code is a major factor - the set of rules, expectations, training program where we are punished or rewarded based on how well we conform. All genders. My biggest concern (and has been for 5 years) is the tsunami of wellbeing challenges as women your refer to in your article, hit perimenopause. As this is THE time that the body, brain and mind will push back, hard.