Partners Exclusive: Still Here
- May 9
- 3 min read
A Gentle Reset for Overwhelmed Women
There are days when the frustration sits quietly at the base of your throat—tight, unspoken. You're not trying to spark a revolution. You're just trying to keep going. But then, in the shower, while dishes pile or emails ping, the thoughts start pouring in like cold rain. Why is it so hard? Am I invisible? Am I doing this wrong?
You're not. It's just a moment. And you're not alone in it.
As women—founders, caregivers, visionaries—we carry layers of responsibility that often go unseen. Society tells us to be generous but efficient, emotional but rational, assertive but soft. And when we don't get it “right,” the pressure builds inside like steam, waiting for release.
But this isn't about being too much. It's about being asked to hold too much without support.
The data shows what you feel: the gaps are real.
Healthcare: A survey by the UK's National Institute for Health Research found that 84% of women felt they were not listened to by healthcare professionals (NIHR).
Motherhood: According to a study by the Peanut app, 72% of mothers feel invisible, and 93% feel unappreciated or unseen after having children (The Independent).
Workplace: McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace 2024 report shows that women are more likely to experience microaggressions and to have their authority undermined, contributing to feelings of being undervalued (McKinsey & Company).
Mental Health: Over one-third of women (36.7%) report having been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives, compared to 20.4% of men (Gallup, 2023). Additionally, 23.4% of adult women in the U.S. experienced an anxiety disorder in the past year (NIMH).
So yes, it hurts. And it’s valid.
But this pain is not weakness. It's the heat of transformation. The signal that something must change—not you, but the shape of what surrounds you.
To overcome this frustration is not to ignore it. It's to let it speak. To honor the burn. To recognize that the ache you feel is not just personal—it's collective, historical, encoded in generations of women who were muted, redirected, erased.
And yet—you are still here.
Still building. Still leading. Still sensing what's needed before it's asked for. Still daring to create in a language the market doesn't yet speak fluently, but desperately needs to learn.
Overcoming doesn’t always look like success. Sometimes, it looks like persisting. Like building anyway. Like trusting that your voice—though trembling, though hoarse—is necessary.
Tools to Move Through the Overwhelm
When you feel caught in the ache of not being heard or valued, these gentle, evidence-based tools can help you step out of the spiral:
Step 1: Name it - Say it clearly: “I feel invisible.” “I feel anxious.” “I feel exhausted.” Naming the emotion gives it shape—and less power.
Step 2: Ground in your senses - Touch something real: the floor under your feet, your breath, your surroundings. Count 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste.
Step 3: Move your body - A walk, a few stretches, dancing to one song. Physical activity reduces cortisol and boosts mood-regulating endorphins.
Step 4: Reframe your thought - Instead of “I can’t,” ask “What’s the next small thing I can try?” Reframing builds momentum.
Step 5: Choose a micro-task -Pick one small, achievable action—send one message, organise one file, take one deep breath. Progress quiets the spiral.
Step 6: Connect - Send a voice note or text to someone who ‘gets it.’ A community you belong to, a dear friend or a family member. Connection breaks the isolation cycle.
Step 7: Be kind to yourself - Would you say this to a friend? Probably not. Offer yourself the same kindness and grace.
To the woman who feels defeated today: it’s okay to rest. It’s okay to ache. But know this—what you are building, what you are becoming, is not in vain.
Your voice was never too loud. The world was just too quiet.
And it’s time we raise the volume—not through shouting, but through steady, compassionate presence. The kind that builds something new, one clear, quiet step at a time.
