I saved 30s. It wasn’t even an emergency…

July 5, 2026

It was Sunday morning, Macclesfield town centre. I hate shopping and the food markets were on so it was rammed full of people…everywhere! I held onto Elsie little hand and said, “follow me.”

Pulling her this way and that, skirting quickly around the people dawdling, finding gaps between sprawling lines of people attempting to queue. And then, as we arrived at our destination, I paused and caught myself.

What exactly was I rushing for? To get here 30s faster than we would have done otherwise?

Hello my old friend Superwoman, you can stand down, it’s not an emergency!

In fact, this video of superwoman in action that I posted on LinkedIn this week depicts the mode perfectly 👀. Everything gets done quickly; walking, putting the shopping away, eating…

Superwoman wears the mask of perfection and the cloak of responsibility.

But beneath the cape there’s exhaustion, resentment, and a growing sense that you can’t continue like this…

Superwoman
↳ Keeping all the plates spinning.
↳ Driven by productivity and accomplishment.
↳ Little space for joy, rest, pleasure, or replenishment.

Superwoman as Martyr
↳ Giving endlessly to everyone else.
↳ Putting your own needs at the bottom of the list.
↳ Resentment is accumulating

Superwoman > Burnout/Exhaustion
↳ Running on empty.
↳ The motivation that once fuelled you starts to fade.
↳ Apathy replaces passion.

One question

Which Superwoman pattern are you running?

One insight

Superwoman is useful for about 15 minutes in a genuine emergency.

Yet so many of us live in this pattern for weeks, months, years… sometimes decades.

I certainly did.

I even owned a bright red jumper with “SUPERWOMAN” (in gold) written across the front.
I wore it proudly.

At the time, I didn’t understand the hidden cost to:
↳ My health
↳ My fulfilment
↳ My relationships
↳ My sense of self

Then came 2017.

I was on maternity leave, and my dad had a sudden heart attack.

That was my wake-up call.

I knew I had been pushing too hard for too long.
Something had to change.
I had to change.
It was time to retire Superwoman.

One action

Over the next week ahead, see if you can catch when you slip into Superwoman mode, take a breath, and purposefully slow down.

Keep opening up,
Hannah

PS. If you need support with this. I have availability opening up for 2 clients starting in July or September. Reply to this email for details.
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