I am a curious womxn. Curiosity is one of my highest values and I’ve been asking questions for as long as I can remember. Although I wouldn’t have it any other way, it’s a tendency that not everyone understands or appreciates. I’ve ruffled many feathers over the years and been called everything from argumentative and aggressive, to disruptive and disrespectful. But it’s part of who I am. It’s my way of making sense of the world around me and it is my insatiable desire to explore both my external and internal landscape that has led me to where I am today.
Georgina Siddall is a Women’s Life and Wellness Coach, and a teacher of yoga and Pilates. She helps busy working women in their 30s, 40s and 50s conquer stress, exhaustion and overwhelm so they can excel in mid-life and beyond.
She fuses practical action and accountability with a passion for movement, mindfulness and meditation, to create a holistic experience that feels both transformational and fun. vitalitahealthandfitness.com
What's easy for you as a womxn?
I am a natural leader but it’s something I resisted because the label of being a bossy child rang in my ears. As I approach 40, I am determined to make up for lost time and am leaning into leadership opportunities.
What's difficult for you as a womxn?
They say we teach what we need to learn. As a Type A in recovery, my lesson is to slow down.
Anxiety, depression and burnout - I experienced it all while climbing the corporate ladder. My breakdown was the wake up call of a lifetime and I am profoundly grateful for the lessons I learned when I hit rock bottom - that life lived at warp speed isn’t truly living, it’s unfulfilling and unsustainable.
These days, I am able to work and live in a way that is nourishing, supports my wellbeing and aligns with my values. When my calendar is bursting at the seams and exhaustion starts creeping in, I am better able to recognise the warning signs and take steps to redress the balance.
How do you maintain mental fitness/mental health?
In my experience, mental fitness fluctuates in much the same way as physical fitness, and I draw on a range of physical, mental and emotional, social and spiritual tools as required.
My daily non-negotiable is movement and although I adore yoga, my mental fitness and resilience has skyrocketed since I started strength training; the stronger I become physically, the stronger I feel mentally and emotionally. I simply cannot recommend it enough!
What brings you joy?
My husband brings me immense joy. Despite being older than me, his youthful outlook and willingness to laugh at himself and the world around him is the perfect foil to my serious and often pessimistic tendencies. He reminds me daily that laughter really is the best medicine.
How do you nurture your relationship with nature?
Shoes off. Feet on the earth. Wherever and whenever, this simple act never fails to make me feel grounded and connected.
Where do you feel a sense of belonging/community?
Life as a small business owner can be incredibly lonely but I have found a sense of solidarity in the female entrepreneurial community. Through masterminds, networking events and online communities, I have met like-minded women who understand the inevitable highs and lows of self-employment. More importantly, they emphasise community over competition and will bend over backwards to lift other women up!
Where do you live/work?
I am proud to live and work in Meeanjin (Brisbane) on Turrbal country with my husband and business partner Sam, and Luigi the Spoodle. I am child free by choice; a decision that was mutual and informed by a range of factors such as the climate crisis, overpopulation, and the cost of raising children. But there is another reason that I wish I could talk about more freely: I simply don't want children. I have never felt called to motherhood and I don't believe it is part of my blueprint for this lifetime. Although I know not everyone will understand my choice, I don't feel guilty or selfish for opting out of motherhood so I can live a life that I enjoy and that aligns with my values.
What have you changed your mind about?
I no longer believe that my worth is defined by my productivity. But it’s taken a long time to change my internal narrative… more than a decade, in fact.
A born and bred overachiever, I travelled the well-worn corporate path, seeking out more responsibility, more money and more opportunities to advance my career because… that’s what you’re supposed to do, right? Needless to say, it didn’t get me to where I wanted to be and 10 years ago I was wheeled out of my London office on a stretcher. My experience of burnout was deeply shameful because I saw my inability to ‘keep up’ as a shortcoming.
With time (and a lot of therapy), I’ve come to see that my worth isn’t defined by external measures. No matter what I do (or don’t do), I am worthy. End of story.
And when a woman recognises her inherent worth, when she feels it in her bones, something shifts. She is able to create boundaries, prioritise her needs, and really commit to showing up fully in the world.
What makes you optimistic about the future?
Having endured lifetimes of oppression, suppression and subjugation, women are strong AF!
I am proud to stand on the shoulders of my forebears, fierce women who fought and died for rights we take for granted: reproductive and marital rights, financial independence and the right to vote, for example.
We still have so much work to do in pursuit of gender equity and social justice, but I feel as though women are once again experiencing an awakening. We are emerging from the shadows, ready to stake a claim for what is rightfully ours. I only hope that I can contribute in some small way, helping to empower and equip future generations of people who identify as women.
Describe an influential woman in your life …..
There are so many women I admire and they all share one quality: a fierce sense of self. These women know who they are; they take up space and aren’t afraid to ruffle feathers or speak up for what they believe in. These women are the future and they inspire me to do and be better on a daily basis.
I wish I could tell my 12 year old self …
There is a framed quote by EE Cummings on my bathroom wall: It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.
So, if I could go back in time, I would wipe the tears from her eyes and reassure her that it’s okay to feel like she doesn’t fit in. And that she may never feel like she fits in because, in truth, she was made to stand out!
I’d want her to know that it will take time (and courage) to feel comfortable in her skin… but to hang in there and hold onto her unique spirit because she will eventually meet people who recognise her magic and value her for who she is. And when she does, she will shine so bright.
Connection
WomxnConnect aims to be a welcoming space for women where acceptance for an individual's choices is respected. Georgina said that writing about this potentially divisive topic " feels provocative and scary... but also necessary".
A 2016 article, Social Exclusion of Australian Childless Women in Their Reproductive Years, "suggests pronatalism in Australian society places childless women at risk of social exclusion", so we're grateful to Georgina for being willing to share about her choice to be child free. It encourages us all to live a life that aligns with our values and by accepting people's different life choices we become a more inclusive society.
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