Dear Editor,
Too many women in Antigua and Barbuda are quietly burning out. Every day, I see young mothers, wives, and daughters pushing themselves to the limit — juggling full-time jobs, caring for children, managing households, and still trying to keep a smile on their faces. We cook the meals, wash the clothes, help with homework, run errands, and somehow still find time to show up at work and in our communities. But at what cost?
It’s time we faced a hard truth: we are not superwomen, even if we pretend to be.
Our society often praises women for “holding everything together,” but rarely do we talk about the toll it takes. Many of our women are exhausted, anxious, and stretched so thin that their physical and emotional health is breaking down. Hypertension, heart disease, and chronic fatigue are rising, not just among older women, but among those in their 20s and 30s. Stress is silently killing us.
Ladies, this is your reminder: it’s okay to rest. It’s okay to leave the dishes until morning. It’s okay to say no. The laundry can wait; your life cannot. Take that nap. Go for that walk. Schedule that doctor’s appointment you’ve been putting off. Breathe. Laugh. Take time for you.
Self-care is not selfish, it is survival. We cannot pour from an empty cup. When you rest, you heal. When you take care of yourself, you set a powerful example for your daughters, nieces, and friends.
To the men and families reading this: support the women in your lives. Share the responsibilities. A healthy woman makes for a healthy home, and a healthy home builds a stronger nation.
Women of Antigua and Barbuda, please, put yourselves on your own priority list. The housework will still be there tomorrow, but you must be here to see it.
Take care of yourself. You deserve it.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Sister
I really needed to hear this am drain but I keep pushing to get it all done I am hypertension and a diebet at 37 am always tired from work an coming home to do more work with kids that can only depend on me Lord help me
This is profound. So very true. Thank you for sharing this.
I really needed to hear this am drain but I keep pushing to get it all done I am hypertension and a diebet at 37 am always tired from work an coming home to do more work with kids that can only depend on me Lord help me .
Women deserve breaks just like men. they take on so much and rarely get the appreciation they deserve
This brought tears to my eyes. So many of us are on autopilot, just pushing through every day until we break down. Thank you for reminding us it’s okay to stop and breathe
I needed to hear this today. I’ve been feeling guilty for resting, like I’m lazy but I’m just tired. We are not robots. Thank you for saying what so many of us feel
This message should be read in every church, every workplace, and every home. Women are carrying too much and pretending to be fine
ack in my day, we were taught that a good woman never complains and never rests. That mentality nearly killed us. I’m glad the younger women are speaking up now
Self-care isn’t luxury…. it’s prevention. Mental health, heart health, and emotional balance are all connected. Rest is medicine
My mother was one of those women who never stopped working, even when she was sick. Reading this hit hard. We have to protect our women, not just praise them when they’re suffering
To any woman reading this post, let it serve as a reminder of a phrase we hear a lot lately, ‘self care isn’t selfish.’
Please, please, please, I know sometimes it’s hard because we wear so many hats and so many people depend on us, but find a way to carve out some ‘me time.’
Burn out is no joke. Resting and recharging are absolutely essential for our health – physical, mental, emotional. Thanks for the reminder that we cannot pour from an empty cup.
This message resonated with me deeply.
As a husband, I fully agree. We men need to do more …. not just say thank you, but actually help. A relationship is teamwork, not slavery.
Beautifully written and deeply true women need to stop feeling guilty for resting. We can’t pour from an empty cup.
As a woman whom stress sent to the hospital numerous times, I get it. I had to pivot and let some things and some people go in order to save myself. Compound stress with trauma, you have a recipe for disaster and so I agree wholeheartedly that we women MUST take care of ourselves. We are easily replaced when we are no more.