{"id":9418,"date":"2019-03-09T19:57:29","date_gmt":"2019-03-10T00:57:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ioadvisory.com\/?p=9418"},"modified":"2020-09-25T18:02:06","modified_gmt":"2020-09-25T22:02:06","slug":"superwoman-syndrome-harder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioadvisory.com\/blog\/superwoman-syndrome-harder\/","title":{"rendered":"The Superwoman Syndrome, Even Harder than it Looks \u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Alicia<\/a>

Lyrics from ‘Superwoman’ on, As I Am, by Alicia Keys 2007<\/p><\/div>\n

Recently, I was asked to speak at an International Women\u2019s Day event that was being organized by Sigma Beta Phi Sorority. I was intrigued since I have not been close to \u2018Greek Life\u2019 \u2026 especially in Canada \u2026 and their topic \u2018the Superwoman Syndrome\u2019 added another level of fascination.<\/p>\n

I had an idea in my head about the Superwoman Syndrome, but I was curious to know if my perception matched reality. Here\u2019s the official definition that Sigma Beta Phi provided:<\/p>\n

“The superwoman syndrome is the perception that one must be perfect in all things: perfect on the job, at home, in one\u2019s body image, in one\u2019s relationships, etc. and it is exacerbated by other social pressures.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Sigma Beta Phi asked me to address how I have combatted the superwoman syndrome and\/or any implications for mental health, particularly among women of colour or other underrepresented groups (e.g., women with disabilities, Indigenous women, women in the LGBTQ community, etc.). In addition, they said it would be helpful if I could also provide insight into how external influences can either help or hinder the mental health of these types of women. That’s a tall order for an 8 – 10-minute talk as part of a panel discussion, but, it was interesting and timely.<\/p>\n

How Do I Combat the Superwoman Syndrome?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

For as long as I can remember, I\u2019ve been preoccupied with the demands of my personal and professional life. I hadn\u2019t really thought about the Superwoman Syndrome explicitly until this event. But there\u2019s no doubt that I\u2019ve felt its pressure over the years. I\u2019d argue that in addition to getting closer to the top of my game professionally, as a woman of colour, there have been a few extra layers of difficulty; I\u2019ll address three of them.<\/p>\n

Layer #1: The Superwoman Syndrome while Covering at Work <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"red<\/a>According to a report published by Deloitte, the majority of certain populations in the workplace actively cover up aspects of their identities that they believe are unwelcome and\/or stigmatized. In other words, they are intentionally downplaying who they are. For example,<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 women are doing it more, LGBT people are doing it more, people of colour are doing it more. And the study also shows that white men cover to a degree as well \u2014 almost 50% of the men in their study. They have a political affiliation that\u2019s unlike their peers, or they have a disability, or they are married to a woman of colour.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This means that a lot of mental and creative energy is being diverted into\u00a0<\/strong>covering at work<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0instead of doing one\u2019s actual work<\/strong>\u00a0because of real or perceived workplace expectations.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Layer #2: The Superwoman Syndrome while being the One and Only<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Superwoman<\/a>In January 2019, I came across a terrific article published on the McKinsey & Company website. The authors point out that often when we\u2019re the \u2018only one<\/a>\u2019 \u2026 a woman in an all-male environment, the only person of colour, the only LGBTQ person, or whatever \u2026 \u201cthese experiences brought with them anxiety, pressure, and a sense of being on the spot: if we said or did the wrong thing, stereotypes would get reinforced or prejudices confirmed. Other people, we recognize, experience far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

They referenced a study of 64,000 employees and 279 companies in North America:<\/p>\n