When Sleep Becomes Negotiable
Sleep is one of the clearest places where women still treat their own needs as negotiable.
In my last post on sleep, I said I would probably come back to this because it is about more than sleep techniques.
Sleep can get complicated for all kinds of reasons when you share a bed, a room, or a life with other people, but I continue to notice in my conversations with women that they are often the ones paying the price. I relate because I used to compromise my sleep too.
Women are exhausted, waking through the night, dragging themselves through the next day, and still protecting someone else’s comfort, routine, or feelings over their own health.
Choosing Peace Over Perfection
This time of year (which I genuinely adore) has always been a mix of pure joy and running myself into the ground. I loved the lights, the magic, the relaxed days at work, making cookies and Chex Mix with my kids, and watching our stack of holiday movies.
But I was also dealing with a whole lot of self-imposed pressure. December became a race to make everything perfect. Planning and buying gifts for both sides, doing all the work for a holiday card no one else in my house cared about, visiting multiple families in a day.
Working extra hours so I could take time off with my kids. Living through the first holidays after losing my parents and sticking around out of obligation when I wanted to be anywhere but home. Year-end reviews. It was exhausting, and it didn’t have to be.
