Lynne Daack

She’s capable, successful, and the one everyone relies on—but underneath, she’s exhausted. Sometimes competence becomes less of a strength and more of a survival strategy. This post explores what happens when high-functioning women become so good at coping that their own needs disappear.

Something interesting is happening to many women in their 40s and 50s.Women who once moved through life quietly meeting everyone else's expectations are suddenly finding themselves questioning things they used to accept without much thought. Relationships feel different. Responsibilities feel heavier. The emotional work they have been carrying for years suddenly feels exhausting. Many women describe it as a kind of awakening. Not a dramatic crisis. More like a quiet moment where something...

You’ve probably seen it. The We Do Not Care Club. Women saying it out loud. Women laughing, nodding, forwarding it to their friends. And it’s funny — but it’s also real. In my office lately, I’m seeing women who are just… done. Done cushioning everyone else’s emotions. Done being the household manager, emotional regulator, planner, rememberer, smoother-over. Done pretending it doesn’t bother them. One woman said to me, “I just don’t care anymore.” And she meant: I don’t care about being the...