I burp. I swear. I feel bad. I throw tantrums. I lose my cool. I get jealous. I make mistakes. I fumble. I cry. I am confused. I go blank sometimes. And I hate…well, I am honest. But I also feel joy. I laugh. I stand up for my friends. I look after people. I support. I adapt. I cook. I work. I volunteer. And guess what… I can also love.

I strive to do everything, every time and for everyone. I want to look good, avoid bad hair days, and wonder why some women just can’t make an effort to be well dressed and presentable. I meet deadlines, churn out palatable food, look after the family, socialize and volunteer for charitable causes.

“Always doing good,” is probably the most apt summation of every woman! How often have you felt that you are always doing good, preparing meals, cleaning the house,  volunteering, listening to a friend, washing, organizing, managing, meeting work commitments? Do you even remember the last time you didn’t stick to some time frame or work schedule, some to-do list, a program or some agenda?

When was the last time you relished a shower? When was the last time you actually enjoyed a cup of tea, without thinking of the day’s menu or making grocery lists in your mind? When was the last time you went for a movie or dinner without attending to an unending number of work calls? And seriously, when was the last time you spent a day doing absolutely nothing and not feeling guilty about it?

Most women today are pressurised to adhere to a cookie cutter mould…. a mould which produces the best, most uniform and perfect women. In real life, this manifests as women assuming multiple roles, taking on multiple responsibilities and being the subject of multiple expectations.

Today, being the best is just not good enough! Women are struggling to perfect themselves in everything, right from their childrens’ school exams to how they look, how they manage their relationships and careers. Women are constantly struggling to measure up to unrealistic expectations encoded in their genes by feminine role models upheld by the media and the society. Comparisons rule their psyche and somehow women always feel inadequate, no matter what they do.

Agreed, the superwoman is a good person, duty oriented, very responsible and truly desires to do what is right. But it’s also okay to fall short without feeling guilty, overwhelmed and inadequate. It’s important to pay attention to the “now’ in your life and not race the clock always.  Being simply in the moment is in no way a lesser way to live.

Isn’t it time to stop and get a grip and to tune out the superwoman fantasy? The perfection cult needs to take a back seat. Instead, let us learn to prioritise and not complicate life. It is  okay to take a breather, cheat on diets, order in food, call in sick at work and splurge on shopping. Just stop, breathe, savour the treats, pamper yourself, relish the simple joys, and live.   I know I will always be incomplete but I just want to be accepted with my strengths, failures, insecurities, all the feelings and thoughts that course through me. I am fine with the fact that I don’t get it right always and that I burp sometimes and cry without a reason and revel in being a drama queen. So should you. Go on exhale. It is easy, isn’t it?

Mansi S Mehta is a chartered accountant by profession. She also works as a freelance copy editor and writer and her other interests include social work and volunteering for various charitable causes. She currently also runs a  clothes collection drive, Dehi with a friend to address the critical clothing needs of the underprivileged.