Michelle Obama recently touched on ways certain societal expectations often placed on women can be harmful — and therapists say it’s an issue that needs attention.

During a recent appearance on actor Sophia Bush’s podcast, “Work in Progress,” Obama responded to rumors swirling over the past several months that she and former President Barack Obama are getting divorced. While it’s not exactly clear what spurred those rumors, as Vanity Fair reported, speculation likely ramped up when the former first lady skipped out on President Jimmy Carter’s funeral and President Donald Trump’s inauguration — both events her husband attended. Not to mention, there had apparently been chatter online about Barack Obama and Jennifer Aniston having an affair, and Aniston was even forced to publicly debunk the unexplained rumor in October.

Michelle Obama did not explicitly mention Carter’s funeral or Trump’s inauguration during her appearance on “Work in Progress,” but she talked about recently making “decisions” for herself, and how that was evidently unsettling for the public.

She said that while people, for the most part, “get it” when she says “no” to certain things or requests, she thinks women typically struggle with “disappointing people.”

“I mean, so much so that this year people were ... they couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing,” she said. “That this couldn’t be a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself.”

“But that’s what society does to us,” she said. “We start actually finally going, ‘What am I — What am I doing? What am I doing this for?’ And if it doesn’t fit into the sort of stereotype of what people think we should do, then it gets labeled as something negative and horrible.”

Anita Chlipala, a licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of practice Relationship Reality 312, said that the issue Obama described is a common theme she encounters in her practice: Societal norms and pressures often cause women to put other people’s needs before their own.

“The patriarchy reinforces traditional gender roles that place women as the nurturers and caretakers, so women consider other people first while putting their own needs last,” she said.

Women, in general, are more prone to experience guilt — and socialization is a factor, according to research.

Research has suggested that women are more prone to experience guilt than men are. And some research has revealed that’s due in part to the fact that girls are socialized that way from a young age.

“In the socialization of girls, the focus is on how to comply with friends, to make amends after a fight and to take responsibility of others’ well-being,” a 2016 National Library of Medicine study stated, citing past research. It added: “During upbringing, children learn about gender roles and what is expected of them. Boys are nurtured to be more assertive, while girls are encouraged to be more caring.”

Chlipala said that in heterosexual relationships, research on “mental load” suggests that “the majority of the household responsibilities fall on the female partner.”

“Women also struggle with guilt, especially if they’re mothers,” she later continued. “The societal pressure for moms to ‘do it all’ while keeping it together is unsustainable.”

Chlipala said that she often sees women in her practice struggle with prioritizing themselves in their relationships.

It’s crucial that women — in relationships or not — prioritize their own well-being.

“You won’t be satisfied in your own life if you don’t get your needs met — either by yourself or by your partner — and if you feel like you don’t have a voice or control over your own life,” Chlipala said. “You risk poor sleep, poor emotional management.”

She also added that not focusing on your own needs can lead to feelings of resentment, disconnection, lack of physical intimacy and loss of identity in relationships, among other issues.

“If you’re more focused on meeting others’ expectations instead of considering what’s in your best interests, you can lose your sense of identity,” she said. “Your actions no longer stem from your values, dreams, and goals, but from what you think others deem important.”

Holly Humphreys, a licensed professional counselor with Thriveworks who specializes in self-esteem, relationships and stress, said that women who don’t prioritize their own well-being in relationships can become “burned out by pleasing their partner.”

“Most of the time, people pleasers come to therapy when they are completely burned out and have nothing left to give others, much less themselves,” she said.

Here’s how you can practice prioritizing yourself, and what you should say if you get criticized for it.

Chlipala said that one way to practice prioritizing your mental health is to speak up for what you want and need. She also said that you should ask for help, and remember that you don’t have to “do it all.”

“You are not less than a woman or a mother if you don’t do it all,” she said.

Chlipala also advised to be careful of “should” statements — they can set you up for failure, she said.

“Ask yourself, ‘Who is telling me I should be doing this? Do I want to do this? Is this what’s best for me and/or my relationship?’”

And if someone criticizes you for prioritizing yourself, Chlipala said you should try not to take it personally. “Maybe they lack the insight or the mental flexibility to challenge patriarchal stereotypes or see that what worked for them doesn’t work for everyone,” she said, adding that you can politely challenge them and seek to understand their perspective.

“Women should never apologize for setting healthy boundaries in their lives,” Humphreys said.

“No is not a bad word, it is a word that provides self-preservation and protection,” she later continued. “People always adapt to boundaries when they are consistently maintained.”