The Pressures of Being a Woman

By Julie Hays

Being a woman in this world is difficult.

Do you ever look at other people’s lives and compare them to your own? Does this make you question whether you’re smart, fit, or happy enough?

I know I do.

The world is tough enough, but you add the title of woman and mom and expectations soar.

I learned this the hard way. I started life in the public eye as a naïve, fresh out of college female with a positive outlook on pretty much everything until I realized how cruel the world can be.

My days of broadcasting started long before social media. I remember old-fashioned mail coming to the station with letters from viewers, almost without exception females, who didn’t like my outfit that day. My hair wasn’t fixed right. My makeup wasn’t perfect. And that outfit. Did I get dressed in the dark?

Then came the targets of one of my greatest insecurities: my weight. I went through three pregnancies on air, hitting over 200 pounds 2 of the 3 times. Imagine how I felt when someone would email the newsroom after a few weeks of bad eating and ask if I was “pregnant again.”

Maybe because in a way I had to, but somewhere along the way I learned to accept myself.

It was okay if I had a bad hair day.

It was okay if I gained weight.

It was okay if I was the mom who had to pack a lunchable because my refrigerator was bare.

My advice to women today is to find a hobby or passion that brings you joy and don’t compare yourself to others.

You are enough.

Tell yourself that.

And then, go tell a girlfriend, too.

You are enough

Julie Hays is a wife, mother to three and an award winning journalist for KWTX-TV. She also is well known for helping with a number of non-profits, including the Boys & Girls Club, American HeartAssociation, American Cancer Society and Fuzzy Friends Animal Rescue.

Art by Linen & Cake. To view more of Theresa’s work, go to linenandcake.com