From Superwoman to Sleeping Beauty: My Crash Course in Recovery
I used to believe I was Superwoman.
Strength and energy? Boundless.
Mission? Save the world, my workplace, my home, my family, my church…
all while keeping my hair neat and my makeup intact.
Then one day my body said, no more.
It had been giving me warning signs for a while, but I ignored them. I
mentioned to my husband how I felt, and he said, "Just press through."
I went to some Christian women leaders, some pastors, others pastors'
wives, and they said, "It's just the norm." So instead of listening to
that small still voice, I pushed and I pushed, until I keeled over.
And so began my crash course in recovery, or as I now call it, my transformation from Superwoman to Sleeping Beauty.
The Myth of Superwoman
The Superwoman myth tells us we can do it all: work endlessly, care for everyone else, push past exhaustion, and never, ever show weakness.
But here's the truth: pushing too hard has consequences. Research shows that prolonged stress raises cortisol, suppresses the immune system, and can lead to fatigue, brain fog, and a whole host of health issues.
I discovered that firsthand. My "always on" lifestyle eventually switched me off. My body wasn't betraying me, it was protecting me. That realisation was another step in my transformation from Superwoman to Sleeping Beauty.
The Beauty of Sleep (and Pausing)
Somewhere in the middle of my "unplanned sabbatical," I learned something revolutionary: rest is holy.
Even God rested on the seventh day. If the Creator of the universe can pause, why do we think we're the exception?
Of course, I didn't learn this gracefully. My early attempts at rest looked like this:
- Sitting down with a devotional, only to wake up an hour later drooling on the page.
- Telling myself I was "just closing my eyes for five minutes," only to wake up and realise dinner had turned into midnight snack time.
And yet, in those naps and pauses, healing began. Science backs it up: quality sleep restores the brain, balances hormones, repairs cells, and strengthens memory. Spiritually, it reconnected me with God's rhythm of grace over grind. Another piece of my transformation from Superwoman to Sleeping Beauty.
Lessons Learned
Here's what recovery taught me: pacing yourself isn't weakness, it's wisdom.
Practical takeaways from my journey:
Schedule rest before burnout schedules you. Treat downtime like an appointment with God.
Power naps beat power struggles. Twenty minutes of rest can restore more energy than hours of forcing productivity.
Swap "hustle harder" with "heal smarter." Doing less, more intentionally, is often the fastest path to peace.
By stepping off the hamster wheel, I found clarity, peace, and joy again. My cape was retired, but in its place, I discovered something better: the freedom to rest without apology. That's the heart of my transformation from Superwoman to Sleeping Beauty.
A Gentle Word for You
My Beautiful Sister, if you're tired, it's not failure. It's your body asking for kindness. It's your soul whispering for space.
So, from one former Superwoman to another, here's my blessing: May you find the courage to pause, the wisdom to pace yourself, and the grace to rest.
✨ I'd love to hear from you: what's one way you'll choose to rest this week? Would you let me know, perhaps send me a note or an email? However you choose to share, I'd be honoured to hear your own Superwoman to Sleeping Beauty moment.