The Wonder Woman Cape: How Gen X Tied Self-Worth to Carrying It All (and Why It’s Breaking Us) | YKMS

Episode Overview:

In this week’s episode of You Keep Me Sane, we dive into what it really means to be Gen X - caught between silence and strength, invisibility and overachievement. We explore how growing up in a culture that told us to “just get on with it” shaped our self-worth, and how the infamous “Wonder Woman cape” became both our badge of honour and our heaviest burden.

From latchkey kids to midlife jugglers, we unpack the generational weight we carry. We talk about why it shows up in our health, our relationships, and our sense of identity and what it means to finally name it, put it down, and choose something lighter.

Key Discussion Points:

• Why Gen X was taught to suppress emotions and “just cope” without support
• The Wonder Woman cape: how being endlessly capable became tied to our worth
• Midlife as a reckoning point - when silence and strain finally catch up
• The impact of suppressed emotions on health (autoimmune conditions, stress, burnout)
• Practical reflections on setting down the cape and redefining worth

Listener Takeaways:

• You are not weak for feeling the weight, you’ve been carrying decades of conditioning.
• Self-worth doesn’t come from how much you can juggle, it comes from who you are.
• Setting down the cape, even for an hour, can be a radical act of self-care.
• Naming what our generation carries isn’t complaining, it’s the first step to healing.
• We can choose to raise our children differently, with openness and emotional language that we never had.

Join the Conversation:

Where are you still wearing the Wonder Woman cape? And what would it feel like to set it down - just for an hour?

We’d love to hear your reflections. DM us or leave a voice note to share your story.
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Hosts: Aileen Harvey & Julie Fahy

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Disclaimer:

Remember, we’re two friends sharing our personal experiences and discussing everyday challenges. We’re not qualified coaches or therapists, and our content is for general information and supportive conversation only. If you need professional help, please seek advice from a licensed therapist.