Sista's In Spirit

When Did Rest Become Optional And What Is It Really Costing You?

Anxiety, chronic stress and burnout are no longer fringe experiences for women in corporate and business spaces. They are becoming structural realities.

UK data from the Health and Safety Executive shows work-related stress, depression and anxiety account for over half of all working days lost, with women consistently reporting higher emotional exhaustion than men.

In the United States, the American Psychological Association has repeatedly found that women of colour report higher stress levels linked to workplace bias, caregiving pressure and financial insecurity.

Scholars have been particularly clear about what is happening beneath the surface. Dr. Thema Bryant, former President of the American Psychological Association, frames burnout among Black women not as weakness, but as the cost of “over-functioning in under-supportive systems.” 

Sunday Reset for Sistas in Spirit:

Five Daily Wins for the Woman You Are Becoming.

What if success was not about doing more but about winning small, on purpose, every single day?

By Sunday, many women are already carrying the emotional weight of the week ahead. Responsibilities. Expectations. Quiet self-pressure. This is where the power of daily wins matters, not as hustle, but as alignment.

Neuroscience shows that the brain responds to small, achievable actions with dopamine release, reinforcing motivation and emotional regulation. Research in behavioural psychology consistently confirms that micro-wins reduce stress, increase follow-through and restore a sense of agency, especially for women managing invisible labour, emotional load, menopause transitions and leadership fatigue.

The Hidden Cost of Carrying Too Much

Why Strength Is Quietly Costing Black Women Their Health

Across the United Kingdom and the United States, women are disproportionately affected by stress-related illness, but for Black women, the load is heavier and the consequences arrive sooner.

In the UK, data from the NHS shows that women experience higher rates of anxiety disorders, chronic pain and stress-related musculoskeletal conditions than men. Yet Black women are significantly more likely to remain in work, caregiving and leadership roles while unwell, delaying rest, support and treatment. This “push through” culture is not accidental, it is learned, expected and often rewarded until the body can no longer comply.

UK public health research also shows that Black women experience higher rates of hypertension, autoimmune conditions, fibroids and chronic pain, all illnesses strongly linked to prolonged cortisol exposure and nervous system dysregulation. Despite this, Black women are less likely to…