A Letter to Millennial Women: From a Calgary Psychologist
Dear Millennial women,
You grew up in the era of heroin chic. Jessica Simpson was considered fat. Hydroxy cut was trending. No matter what your physical body looked like, we all were bound to have body image issues.
You also grew up with parents who (unintentionally) provided very little emotional validation and you had to deal with your own big emotions on your own. Whatever coping skills you developed, they were brilliant at the time. So please don’t be hard on yourself. Thank that little girl for trying.
You were praised for what you accomplished, and not how much effort you made. You were pushed to do more, achieve more, excel more. No wonder you don’t feel good enough. No wonder you strive for perfection.
Things were explosive in the home, or they were swept under the rug. No wonder you struggle with communication and assertiveness.
You didn’t have a voice. It was “do what I say because I say so” and that was that. You couldn’t speak up, and if you did there were consequences. No wonder guilt runs the show. No wonder you do whatever you can to keep the peace and please others.
Maybe you felt like you were the parent. You were responsible for everyone’s emotions. No wonder you struggle with setting boundaries.
It all makes sense, doesn’t it?
One of my passions as a therapist is to help millennial women break free of these cycles. Just remember, you are not alone. There is an entire generation of women like you 🤍✨
(Disclaimer: I recognize I am making big generalizations here, based on what I have noticed as themes and trends with this population. If any of this resonates with you, please like, share, comment, save🫶🏼)
