
Why Women Are Burning Out Faster Than Ever—And What We Can Do About It
Jun 10, 2025You're Not Lazy. You're Overloaded.
You’re not burned out because you’re weak. You’re burned out because you’re carrying too much, and pretending it’s normal.
You’ve been high-functioning in low-support environments, winning gold medals in “keep it together” while quietly falling apart inside. You’ve learned to push through, show up, smile, and say “I’m fine,” while quietly wondering how long you can keep this up.
And somewhere along the way, exhaustion became your baseline. You can’t remember the last time you felt fully rested. Fully present. Fully you.
Let’s call it what it is: a systemic, physiological, cultural, and psychological pressure cooker that women have been stuck in for decades. And it’s reaching a boiling point.
We’re not just talking about being tired. We’re talking about chronic depletion. Nervous system dysregulation. A full-body “I can’t do this anymore” that no amount of coffee, yoga, or gratitude journaling is going to fix.
Burnout isn’t a buzzword. It’s not a trend. It’s a crisis. And spoiler alert: women are on the front lines.
Let’s break down why we’re burning out faster than ever, what the science actually says about it, and how to flip the switch from running on fumes to running your life.
The Invisible Load You’re Carrying (And Why It’s Crushing You)
Burnout isn’t just about being busy. It’s about being burdened.
Women carry an invisible load that never shows up on our calendars but eats up every last ounce of bandwidth:
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Managing the physical and emotional well-being of our families
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Anticipating everyone’s needs before they even say them
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Remembering birthdays, dentist appointments, and who doesn’t like onions
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Navigating high-pressure careers while still being expected to smile and soften our edges
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Doing all the unpaid labor at home after crushing it at work
It’s not just what we’re doing. It’s that we’re doing it all, all the time, for everyone—with zero margin and even less recognition.
We’re the default, the fallback, the safety net—and we’ve been conditioned to see that as normal.
Researchers call it the “second shift.” I call it emotional labor with a side of gaslighting—and we’ve been doing it on autopilot for decades.
And it’s not just emotional or mental. It’s biological.
The Science of Stress: Your Body Can’t Lie
Burnout isn’t a mindset issue. It’s a nervous system issue.
When your brain perceives a threat—real or perceived—it activates your stress response system. Adrenaline and cortisol flood your body. Your heart rate spikes. Digestion slows. Muscles tense. Blood sugar surges to prep for action. Focus narrows. You are biologically wired to survive.
This is helpful if you’re being chased by a bear.
But your body doesn’t know the difference between a wild animal and your inbox.
Or your calendar.
Or your partner’s passive-aggressive “what’s for dinner?”
Or the constant, simmering feeling that you’re falling short—no matter how much you’re doing.
When the stress response gets activated daily by perfectionism, over-functioning, people-pleasing, and pressure to keep everyone happy and everything afloat, your nervous system stops recovering between stress cycles. And that’s when things get dangerous.
Chronic stress literally shrinks the parts of your brain responsible for memory, focus, and emotional regulation. It messes with your hormones, your metabolism, your immune system. You forget what you were saying mid-sentence. You cry over things that don’t normally phase you. You lose your edge—and then beat yourself up for it.
Burnout is your body staging a full-scale mutiny while your brain says, “but I just need to get through this week.”
And no amount of positive thinking can override a body that’s begging for a break.
Why Women Are More Vulnerable (Even When We’re Crushing It)
Women aren’t biologically weaker.
We’re just operating in systems that weren’t built for us while carrying responsibilities that aren’t equally shared.
Here’s why we’re burning out faster:
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We over-function. We say yes too often. We do it better, faster, with a smile. And we rarely stop to ask: should I even be doing this?
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We feel guilty resting. Because we’ve been conditioned to believe our value is in our usefulness.
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We perform emotional labor non-stop. Managing tone, mood, energy in every room.
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We’re praised for sacrifice. Not for sustainability.
Even the women who look like they have it "all together" are burning out behind the scenes. That includes CEOs, teachers, healthcare workers, entrepreneurs, mothers, non-mothers, all of it.
Burnout doesn’t discriminate. But it does disproportionately affect women.
Why Self-Care Culture Isn't Helping
Now here’s where things get spicy:
We’ve been sold a lie that burnout is a personal failure with a personal solution.
"Just take a bubble bath. Meditate. Journal. Go to therapy."
Look, I love a good soak and a deep breath as much as the next person. But here’s the problem:
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You can’t meditate your way out of a 60-hour workweek with zero childcare.
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You can’t essential-oil your way through systemic inequity.
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You can’t self-care your way out of constantly being the default parent, partner, and peacekeeper.
Burnout is not a vibe problem. It’s a capacity problem.
So let’s stop asking women to fix themselves and start helping them restore themselves.
The Body → Soul → Mind Framework That Actually Works
This is the framework I teach inside my coaching and my programs. It’s simple, science-backed, and sustainable.
And it flips the traditional approach completely on its head.
Most people start with mindset. I don’t.
Because if your body is depleted and your soul is numb, no amount of affirmations or productivity hacks will stick.
We start with what actually works.
💪 BODY FIRST
We start with your body’s chemistry and energy. Because when your nervous system is fried, nothing else works.
Your body is your foundation. It sets the tone for your thoughts, your mood, your ability to show up.
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Build recovery into your day (yes, even in 90-second microdoses)
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Stop using caffeine to replace sleep
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Move your body for clarity, not punishment
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Learn how to regulate—not just rest—your nervous system
You don’t need to overhaul your life. You need to create capacity again. And that starts in the body.
🔥 SOUL SECOND
When your values and actions are out of alignment, you lose momentum. Fast.
You forget why you’re doing what you’re doing. You go into autopilot. You lose joy.
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Reconnect with what matters to you
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Start saying no to what drains you (and mean it)
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Protect your energy like it's currency (because it is)
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Reclaim your personal “why” so you stop living everyone else’s
Your soul is your compass AND your sense of passion and motivation. Without it, even success feels hollow.
🧠 MIND LAST
Once your body and soul are back online, your brain can stop playing defense—and start leading with clarity.
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Rewrite the stories that have kept you in survival mode
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Dismantle perfectionism, over-functioning, and guilt
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Replace hustle with habits that support your biology
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Install new mental frameworks that make change automatic, not effortful
When your nervous system is calm and your values are aligned, your mind becomes a powerful ally—not a battlefield.
This isn’t woo-woo. It’s physiology. Psychology. Neuroscience.
And it works.
What You Can Do Today
You don’t have to wait for a breakdown to start your reset. Here’s what I want you to try right now:
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Name your capacity leaks. What are you doing that drains you, and why are you still doing it?
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Take one real break. Not scrolling. Not multitasking. A legit 10-minute pause.
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Do one thing today that benefits you and only you. No guilt. No justification.
If you want more? Join a program. Find your community. Make this the moment you stop calling burnout "normal."
You’re not broken. You’re burned. And you don’t need fixing, you need fuel.
You deserve energy that lasts.
You deserve confidence that doesn’t need external validation.
You deserve to lead your life without draining yourself dry.
So let’s stop apologizing.
Let’s stop waiting.
And let’s start rebuilding — from the inside out.
Because burnout may be common. But it is not your destiny.
Ready to go deeper? Join me inside Soul on Fire, where high-achieving women recalibrate their energy, resilience, and brilliance — without burning it all down.
10 Micro Strategies to Boost Your Energy & Resilience
Instead of reaching for that candy bar or cup of coffee, here are 10 QUICK & EASY WAYS you can increase your energy and resilience by changing your chemistry and physiology.
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