When did being the strong one become so exhausting?
I speak to so many women who are known as the strong one.
The person everyone relies on. The one who remembers everything, sorts everything and somehow keeps everything moving.
For a while, that can feel good. It can become part of who you are. People trust you. They know you'll show up. They know you'll get things done.
But over time, there can be another side to it.
Being the strong one can become incredibly exhausting.
Not because you're incapable.
Not because you're weak.
But because carrying so much for so long eventually starts to take its toll.
I think many women become so used to being there for everyone else that they stop noticing when they need support themselves.
Instead, they:
keep pushing through
put their own needs to one side
tell themselves they'll slow down soon
keep saying yes when they really need space
assume they should just be able to cope
And before they realise it, they're running on autopilot.
Sometimes the exhaustion isn't simply about being busy.
It's the weight of:
always feeling responsible
mentally carrying everyone else's needs
trying to hold everything together
feeling like you should be able to manage it all
rarely giving yourself permission to stop
That kind of carrying can feel incredibly lonely.
Because from the outside, people often think you're doing brilliantly.
After all, you're still functioning.
You're still showing up.
You're still keeping everything moving.
But underneath?
You might be feeling overwhelmed.
Exhausted.
Disconnected from yourself.
And perhaps a little tired of always being the one who carries everything.
If that's where you find yourself right now, I want you to know something.
You don't have to earn rest.
You don't have to reach breaking point before your needs matter.
And needing support doesn't take away from your strength.
In fact, sometimes real strength looks like being honest enough to admit that carrying everything all the time is hard.
So perhaps today is simply an opportunity to pause and ask yourself:
What have I been carrying that nobody else can see?
What do I need right now?
And what would it look like to offer myself some of the care and compassion that I give so freely to everyone else?
Because even the strong one needs support sometimes.
And if this felt familiar, please know you're not the only one and you don't have to keep carrying everything alone.
Jx