You’ve mastered the art of showing up strong. The one who always shows up, figures it out, and gracefully carries it all. Ambitious, capable, and endlessly resilient, you’ve built a life that many look up to. But here’s the truth that often goes unspoken: being strong doesn’t erase your need for support. In fact, it can quietly mask exhaustion and burnout. Strong women need support the most to continue being the powerhouses that they are. Learning practical ways to create space for help, protect your energy, and model a more empowered kind of balance helps you continue being the superwoman that you are. 

The Myth of Invincibility

As women, we are bombarded by societal messaging that glorifies self-sufficiency and overachievement. I experience it just like you do. There is a subtle pressure that gets applied to strong women to “handle it all” without needing help. We are expected to have it all taken care of in our professional and personal lives. However, being the “go-to” person for everyone can be exhausting. It’s simply not possible to do it all and bear the emotional burden for everyone all of the time. Sadly, this sets women up for failure. It creates a mindset that asking for help and support is a sign of weakness or failure. This is simply not true. 

What Burnout Looks Like for High-Performers

Everyone experiences burnout eventually. As a high achiever, you are setting yourself up for burnout by running yourself nonstop. Burnout looks different for everyone. One common sign is chronic fatigue masked by a constant drive to push harder.. You could experience irritability or feelings of disconnection in your personal relationships. You may experience a diminished sense of joy or satisfaction in roles that once brought you fulfillment. It’s easy to overlook these signs because they are so subtle. It’s also easy to ignore them when you are focused on reaching your goals and accomplishing tasks. Recognizing these signs is the first step. The next step is understanding why seeking support is not a weakness.

Why Support is Not a Sign of Weakness

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of strength. You shouldn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed about seeking out support. Instead of viewing it as a negative thing, it’s time to reframe your thinking. View asking for support as a tool that sustains and increases your strength, rather than undermining it. In addition, asking for support will improve, grow, and strengthen your personal relationships. Remember, strong women need safe spaces too. You can still be strong in the safe space that the individuals closest to you create. 

Support that gives you an emotional outlet will nourish you. Being vulnerable with trusted confidants helps you address the negative feelings and emotions that you have pushed down or compartmentalized. These trusted individuals will help you not to feel isolated or alone. 

If you feel like your family, friends, and colleagues have the best of intentions, but they may not have all the answers. That’s when it’s helpful to seek support from a professional like me. As a professional coach, I help strong women find the support they need. As an outside party, I provide objective insight into issues that may be too sensitive to share with personal relations. I also provide professional guidance that can help you achieve your goals. 

How to Cultivate Support Without Losing Independence

As a relationship therapist and coach, I work with women just like you and me. It isn’t enough to know you need to ask for support. We work together to identify and implement practical steps that enable you to start receiving support. Start by identifying your needs. Do you need emotional, physical, or mental support? With your needs in mind, start flexing your receiving muscles by accepting small acts of support. You don’t need to have a full breakdown or ugly cry on your first attempt at emotional support. Instead, try answering honestly the next time someone asks how you are doing, rather than offering a generic positive response with a smile. Instead of making a million trips, accept help when someone offers to carry heavy boxes with you. 

I consider myself a strong woman, but I’m also human. As humans, we make mistakes. Practice self-compassion and release your guilt. You may not be successful at asking for support the first time you try. That’s ok! You may feel guilty about setting boundaries to take care of yourself. Let go of this guilt. You cannot effectively take care of others if you are not nourished yourself. Stop beating yourself up about needing support or help. 

Strong Women Need Support 

Strong women are not meant to carry everything alone. Even the strongest women deserve rest, reassurance, and relationships that pour back into them. By welcoming support, setting clear boundaries, and practicing self-compassion, you create a foundation that enables you to move from emotionally surviving to emotionally thriving! Take time to notice where you can invite more softness and support into your life. Your future self will thank you for it. If you’re ready to explore what that could look like, the Soul Glow Up coaching program provides a safe and empowering space to begin.

Your future self is waiting— start the Soul Glow Up coaching program today.