The world of burnout is not new to the hey freya community, but it certainly seems to be picking up speed in the media. We are jazzed that burnout is finally getting some recognition beyond the “take some time off” response - by all means, take the time off if you can - but the reality is that in several spheres of life, women continue to be unheard, underestimated, and overworked, and we. are. done with it. Why is it that thriving is a special treat and that rest is nearly impossible? It’s not you; it’s the system.
The symptoms are often shuffled off into anxiety or depression, and the physical signs that signal impending burnout are not always obvious, which can make naming and addressing it difficult.
Additionally, it can be hard to talk about because it’s not felt equally by men. If the socially dominant identity cannot relate, bringing it up is easily dismissed as an uncomfortable and unnecessary topic.
It has long been reported that people are experiencing more burnout now than before the COVID-19 pandemic shook our universe. More recent statistics are focusing on the “hangover” from it all. As a result, new terms such as the Great Resignation and the Female Recession have surfaced.
Women - especially mothers and women of color, have suffered the most due to job loss and increased responsibility for unpaid work. For instance, during the pandemic, mothers were three times as likely as fathers to take on the majority of housework and caregiving. This, in turn, has led to a dropout from the workforce and increased the gender gap in the workplace that we, as women, have fought so hard to eliminate.
In response to the unwinding of the significant progress made by and for women in leadership roles, we are making a call to action to empower women to double down on prioritizing self-care to bring some well-deserved relief.
COVID-19 helped to peel back the stigma around mental health, resulting in shortages in access to therapists and wellness providers. However, the more common discussion around burnout and recommended mental health remedies fail to acknowledge the consequential physical symptoms that doctors and therapists are neither prepared nor trained to help with. We heard about it with Jacinda Arden’s resignation that her “tank is empty.” Still, the dialogue seems to always be about mental strength vs. the very real physical changes to immunity, gut health, metabolism, hormones, and pain. It is a physical concern caused by precise biological mechanisms, but the more it gets talked about, the more it seems to be a push for seeking psychological care.
The importance of relief and lack of access to genuine healing is what brings us to you. We want to help anyone who experiences society as a woman; in particular, the caregivers and mothers, the women of color, the work-from-everywhere do-it-all powerhouses that we are - to truly feel better. To feel rested, like we are starting each day more like the selves that we recognize, with enough strength to get all the things done (especially the things we actually want to do)! and then some.
There is more to solving burnout than a mindfulness webinar. There’s an in-between space that is not yet a complete collapse where you can support yourself through community, nutrients, and potent herbs.
hey freya is here to support you in taking back your health.
This is where saying no, is not a sign of defeat.
It is the rebelling of women against a system that was not built for them.
#magicalrebels
