Most women know what it’s like to be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted – with nothing left in the tank. They also regularly push past this point, burning the candle at both ends and creating a ‘norm’ in their life that continually ignites the flames of overwhelm.
After nearly two decades in the corporate world, Author & Simplicity Expert, Bronwen Sciortino, suffered a breakdown that’s becoming common among corporate women who refuse to take notice of the signs telling them to slow down.
“I spent so much of my life moulding and shaping myself to meet the expectations of others instead of focusing on what I really wanted out of life,” said the author and simplicity expert. “I was an intelligent person who ran around making sure everyone else was looked after but I didn’t ever look after myself,” she said.
“As women we’re connected to community and dedicated to making sure everyone around us is ok but often that means that we lose ourselves along the way.”
“Situations such as COVID-19 only exacerbate the everyday norms of life because they add the extra stress of trying to make sure your family are safe and secure on top of trying to get all the normal things done.”
“I ignored myself to the extent that I suffered a breakdown that took almost three years to recover from.”
“What this taught me is the long-held belief that you have to choose between having success OR being happy is a myth”.
“Women can have happy, healthy AND highly successful lives when they adopt a simplicity outlook and define the things that are important to them.”
“When we remove complexity and stress from our lives we increase our quality of life.”
To simplify life women need to:
Know what’s important to them: Women are constantly serving everyone in every aspect of their lives. When you know what’s important you can focus your time and attention in that direction making it easier to be connected to what you are doing.
Say no: Women often agree to help even when they know they don’t have the time. They feel obliged to even though they’re not expected to. Me time: Set aside a set period of time each day to relax and think happy thoughts instead of agonising over the to do list.
Expectations: Stop setting high expectations of what will be achieved every single day instead be thankful for those around you.
Declutter: Clear your home of anything that’s not regularly used and avoid negative friends who make you feel unhappy when you’re around them.
Mrs Sciortino said while her breakdown forced her to make changes, that doesn’t need to be the case for everyone.
“I want others to learn from my journey.” she said “By sharing my story, and showing women there is a different way to live, I now dedicate my life to showing others they can have the life they want without the trauma.”
Women wanting more information on simplifying life and reducing stress can access free tools and email series by visiting https://www.sheiqlife.com/
SheSociety is a site for the women of Australia to share our stories, our experiences, shared learnings and opportunities to connect.
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