We are living in an epidemic of burnout. More than a quarter of working Americans report feeling burnout always or often, according to a 2022 survey by McKinsey and Co., and the figure rises to over 40 percent for female workers.
The reasons for burnout are numerous. It occurs when the stress and pressures of work and personal responsibilities reach a tipping point, with long-term consequences for our mental and physical health as well as our productivity.
Burnout is one of the biggest challenges for over a third of women, along with stress, work-life balance and a lack of career progression, according to new research by the women's business collective AllBright. Meanwhile, half of the study's respondents said they were looking to leave the workplace because of stress and unrealistic expectations.
"That made us think: Are we doing enough to support women in the workplace?" AllBright's CEO, Viviane Paxinos, told Newsweek. "From a female point of view, they felt they had to work a lot harder to get promoted, which then often led to them stepping down because of burnout. And then women have disproportionately more caring responsibilities."
More generally, Paxinos said, both men and women have been struggling since the pandemic. "There is a real burnout epidemic happening right now and a loneliness one as well," she said. "When you're working from home, there is not that separation between work and your personal life."
Just a few years ago, Paxinos herself was struggling to avoid burning out at work. "I love what I do, but I was starting to see the signs of burnout coming," she said. "So I purposefully slowed down in order to be more productive, and I made a lot of changes in my lifestyle."
So what changes did Paxinos make to avoid burnout and boost her productivity?
First, she focused on her diet. "I eat really clean, and I'm quite rigid in terms of what goes into my body and what supplements I take," she said.
"I start with as much protein as possible and build everything around that. So I have eggs in the morning every day at 10 a.m., with some salad and some veggies, and then protein and salad at lunchtime and the same for dinner."
To complement her diet, Paxinos exercises "quite a bit" and takes time to check in with herself and unload what is taking up valuable space in her head. "I do maybe about 10 minutes of breath work in the morning, not every day but at least three times a week. And then I write a lot," Paxinos said. "Writing is amazing for me because otherwise everything just sits in my brain."
A regular routine is also important. "I try to get up before the family gets up," Paxinos said. "I have a glass of water, then take the dog out for a walk. I think getting your body to move straight away has a great impact on the rest of the day."
She also prioritizes sleep hygiene: "My sleep routine is really important to me because I just didn't used to sleep well. Now, I have no screen time two hours before bed, and then I just read and journal."
Balancing work with kids isn't always easy, but Paxinos has found that she can enjoy more quality time with her family by focusing on being present. "I really try to focus on being with my children," she said. "I'm present, my phone's not close to me. And when I'm at work I'm focused on doing that."
Lastly, Paxinos emphasizes the importance of saying no. "Investing in yourself and building a community around you is really important, but also I say no to a lot of things," she said. "You have to be comfortable building and setting your boundaries. You just can't do everything."
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