The Mental Load of Being a Woman
Understanding the invisible pressures and what we can do about them
In 2025, women in Australia continue to face a mental health landscape shaped by complex and often unseen pressures. While rates of anxiety and depression are rising across the board, women — especially those balancing caregiving, work, relationships, and societal expectations — are disproportionately affected.
Whether it’s the pressure to look a certain way, “have it all,” be emotionally available, or stay productive even when depleted, the result is often burnout, self-doubt, and disconnection.
So what can we do?
Name the stress: Journaling, therapy, or even sharing with a trusted friend can help you begin to name and acknowledge the hidden stressors in your life. Awareness is the first step toward change.
Prioritise nervous system care: This doesn’t mean long spa days (though that’s lovely too). It means taking 2 minutes to breathe, say no when you’re overloaded, and give yourself permission to rest.
Challenge perfectionism: Not everything needs to be done at 100%. Learn to choose what matters most — and let the rest be “good enough.”
Create boundaries: Emotionally, physically, and digitally. Unfollow accounts that trigger self-comparison. Speak your needs. Schedule time that’s yours.
You’re not failing — you’re living in a world that often asks too much. Healing starts by reconnecting with your own rhythm, needs, and voice.
Vitamin D & Mood — A Connection Worth Noticing
Vitamin D is well known for its role in bone health, but research increasingly links low vitamin D levels to poor mood, fatigue, and even depression. A 2023 review from the Journal of Affective Disorders found that vitamin D supplementation significantly improved depressive symptoms, especially in those with existing deficiencies.
What many people don’t realise is how common low vitamin D is — especially during winter months, for those with darker skin tones, or people who work indoors.
Signs of deficiency may include:
Low mood or irritability
Muscle aches or weakness
Fatigue
Frequent colds or illness
How to boost your levels:
Get sunlight: Aim for 10–20 minutes of direct sunlight on your skin (arms or legs) most days, ideally in the morning.
Eat more: Fatty fish (salmon, sardines), egg yolks, and fortified plant milks.
Supplement: Consider 1000–2000 IU daily, especially in winter — but get your levels tested first.
Ask your GP for a vitamin D blood test, especially if you’ve been feeling low or sluggish. Sometimes, the smallest biological shifts make a huge difference in how we feel emotionally.
Breakup Recovery Guide — Now Available
It all begins with an idea.
A psychologist’s companion for healing heartbreak
I’ve worked with countless women navigating the end of a relationship — and I see the same struggles show up again and again: the shame, the self-doubt, the confusion, and the deep emotional pain. Not everyone is ready for therapy, and not everyone can afford it. So I created a resource to bridge that gap.
The Breakup Recovery Guide is a self-paced eBook that brings together evidence-based tools, journal prompts, and reflective exercises to support you through heartbreak and beyond.
It’s not about “moving on.” It’s about reclaiming your identity, reconnecting with your worth, and creating a new vision for your life — one step at a time.
Here’s what you’ll find inside:
10 chapters covering grief, identity, self-worth, boundaries, support systems, and new beginnings
Science-backed tools I use in therapy
Journal prompts, guided reflection, and simple daily actions to support emotional healing
Whether you’re fresh in heartbreak or slowly rebuilding, this guide is here to walk alongside you.