Is The Superwoman Syndrome A Self Made Problem?

When women think you have to juggle a career, family, home, exercise and social activities, all at once, it is likely that they are suffering from the superwoman syndrome. It occurs when a woman neglects herself to "do it all" to perfection.

Calling the condition a "self made problem" would mean neglecting its root cause but there may some bit of that present in this issue. A lot of women insist they would like to be 'perfectionists' and some even go to the extent of being proud of it. Even in the 21st century, women are bestowed with the responsibility of running the household and taking care of the family members along with managing their career. Having normalised and internalised this deeply gendered role, women find it their duty to be multitaskers and perfectionists.

How does the superwoman syndrome affect your health?

Trying to keep pace with their lives both at home and outside can have severe health implications. A woman trying to achieve perfection at all times can eventually suffer from anxiety, irritability, insomnia, lack of concentration and so on. It is important to understand what your body wants to tell you. If you aspire to reach an unattainable level of perfectionism and sacrifice your mental and physical well-being, it will automatically lead to stress and unhappiness. This accumulated stress causes a multitude of health issues, such as early aging, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and gastrointestinal conditions.

Getting rid of the superwoman syndrome

The costume of a superwoman was assigned to you at birth by the male dominated world. But you are under no obligation to fulfil the regressive societal expectations. Learn to say no to overworking. Take time off for yourself. It's okay to not meet all the goals you had set for the day. Remember, your life doesn't revolve around cooking, cleaning and serving while the male members of your family have a gala time. So stop blaming yourself for not being a "good" wife or mother just because you failed to make everyone happy. At the first place, it's not your job to be people pleasing all the time just because you are born a woman.

Sharing responsibilities isn't a crime

If you are adept at life skills and can maintain a perfect work-life balance, congrats, that's great. But does that mean you should have to do all of it without any help? No, we can longer allow others to give us directions. Let us make it clear that we didn't learn to manage our lives well to follow orders. Why should it be a woman's work alone to prepare and serve meals, maintain cleanliness and raise the children. She is not the only inmate living in the house. If household chores are divided equally among all family members, it spares women the horror of toiling day in and day out. Believe it or not, working together also plays an important role in making the family a close-knit unit.

Stop trying to be perfect

Sometimes, women are seen as bringing upon themselves this problem of 'perfectionism'. The need to be present for everything and everyone is the reason behind it. When trying to be perfect, women forget that they too need to put themselves first.

By burdening themselves with extra work, they try to become overachievers which can affect them adversely. It is essential for them to take care of their mental and physical health instead of trying to fit inside the gender box.

Women must stop prioritising perfection and this massive idea of multi-tasking over everything else. Trying to be perfect divorces them from reality. While we struggle for the society to treat us at par with men, let us not forget that it is we who need to take the first step.