Women deserve to be celebrated for their extraordinary contributions to society, remarkable triumphs and unmatched fearlessness. Despite gender inequalities across all sectors, women continue to thrive and beat the odds. That’s why we’re rounding up the best quotes from women about strength to empower, motivate and inspire you to keep up the good fight. Here are 10 things women should never feel guilty about even for once in their lives:
1. Self-Care
It should almost be a given that you shouldn’t feel guilty about taking time for self-care but there are contrarians out there who may call you selfish or narcissistic for embracing wellness. However, when you take care of yourself, you won’t be in the mindset to feel guilty about what other people have to say about you. Plus, taking care of yourself means you’ll have enough energy to take care of those around you!
2. Your Career
I’ve known for most of my life that I wanted to write. While writing might be a precarious profession, I’ve realized that it’s self-defeating to compare myself to other people who do work that I don’t want to do. Everyone deserves respect for their career choices.
3. Not Immediately Answering Texts and Calls
As 21st-century dwellers, our lives are dominated by the looming expectation of immediate responses. To maintain my sanity, I turn off push notifications and take my time when answering people. I’m a firm believer in quality over quantity of responses!
4. Not Keeping the House Clean at All Times
Society puts unfair pressure on women to be clean and orderly at all times. The eccentric aunt in the novel ultimately rejects all forms of domesticity, including, as the title suggests, housekeeping. While you’ll continue to be a chronic stress cleaner, I think it’s OK to cut yourself slack when you don’t have the time or energy to finish all of your chores.
5. The Entertainment That You Enjoy
As someone who identifies as a feminist, I won’t always be consuming harrowing stories about strong, independent women or watching documentaries about social justice. You might happen to love romantic comedies and fashion magazines, which are niches in media sometimes deemed as regressive or trivial. It’s perfectly fine to love what you love, as long as you think critically about what you’re consuming.
6. Expressing Your Feelings
Emotional control can leave you with more inner peace, but it’s OK to express strong feelings. There’s an ugly stereotype that women who show their frustrations or sadness are hysterical or needy. After a bad week, nothing feels more cathartic to me than a healthy scream or cry.
7. Your Relationship Status
Those in relationships get judged for not spending enough time with family and friends. Those who embrace being single get judged for not having a partner. At the end of the day, what matters most is that you spend time with people who you care about.
8. Making Mistakes
Making mistakes can be costly and feel disappointing, but they’re formative for your growth as a professional and as a person. As someone who is relatively young in her career, I’ve learned to own my wrongs and move forward by striving to do better.
As a born and raised people pleaser, I had to learn how to not say yes to everything that people wanted from me. Saying no to things you don’t want to do is empowering, since it frees up your time and allows you to focus on what matters most to you.
10. Your Body
As a tall woman, I have spent a lot of my life shrinking my body to make myself fit conventional standards of femininity, which has resulted in a nearly incorrigible slouch. No matter what your body type, you should be allowed to feel comfortable enough to assert your presence.