191. How to Retire Superwoman and Honour Your Needs in Perimenopause (Dr Joanna Martin)

In our forties, many of us hit a wall. It can be a time when our responsibilities are at an all time high, just when our bodies are telling us - sometimes very loudly - that it’s time to change the way we’ve been living and working so far. 

Our guest today, renowned visionary, coach and catalyst Dr Joanna Martin helps us understand how to navigate this phase of life which is often called perimenopause, and which Red School founders Alexandra and Sjanie call the Quickening, through the lens of the archetype of ‘superwoman’.

As the founder of One of many, Jo’s organisation has supported over 70,000 grassroots women leaders to have a greater impact without burnout. She recently published her book, Superwoman - Escaping The Myth and in our conversation today we explore how the superwoman archetype shows up in our lives, as well as how to step out of superwoman mode, embrace community and get your needs met, even with all the responsibilities you hold. 

This conversation is for you if you’re in your forties and looking for ways to show up without burning out. We speak a lot about parenting, so it’s especially for you if this is your path. However, it’s also for you in any phase of your life, if you recognise that you have a tendency to try to push through and do too much, and you want to work cyclically to honour your needs.

We explore:

• The origins of the superwoman myth, and why it drives some of us to embody anti-superwoman, which means we don’t activate our impact potential.
  
  
• Why we can only burn out if we’re not in our body and Jo’s practical approach to get your needs met - the 'Needs Creed'.
  
  
• Jo’s personal Quickening story of meeting her increased need for sleep and alone time, and navigating big emotions as she journeys into perimenopause. 

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The Menstruality Podcast is hosted by Red School. We love hearing from you. To contact us, email info@redschool.net

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Social media:
Red School: @redschool - https://www.instagram.com/red.school
Joanna Martin: @drjoannamartin - https://www.instagram.com/drjoannamartin
One of Many: @oneofmanywomen https://www.instagram.com/oneofmanywomen