SELF HELP RESOURCE - Work / Career Concerns

Women's Struggle With Stress
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We live in a world where there is an expectation for women to wear many hats and play different roles. In simple words be everything and be successful while at it. Taking care of the house, working, being a mother, a daughter, a wife, it goes on. 

Burnout and its Gendered Effects 

As per a McKinsey study on an average, women account for 53 per cent of corporate entry-level jobs, but hold only 37 percent of mid-management roles, and 26 per cent of president and senior manager roles. As per the study, young women are leaving the workplace. 

While it might be argued that this is due to starting families, a Harvard study has shown that only 11 percent of women leave work permanently for this reason. This study said that rather than women's careers ending due to family priorities, they were ending because there was lesser satisfaction in their careers as compared to men. 

Another study that looked at burnout rates among journalists through gender socialisation theory, found that "women experience significantly higher rates of role overload, or feel that they are unable to complete their assigned duties in the work time allowed." 

This might be because, women do not look after themselves at work. Always putting their job ahead of their own wellbeing - as per the Captive Network, men are 25 per cent more likely to take breaks throughout the working day for personal activities, 7 percent more likely to take a walk, 5 per cent more likely to go out to lunch, and 35 per cent more likely to take breaks "just to relax". 

Several women have succeeded in getting dream jobs but are running so fast on the work treadmill that there is a definite danger of burnout. 

How men and women experience burnout differently  

Nothing in this piece suggests that men do not burnout too. It is true that men face the issue of burnout as well. However, it has been found that men may process burnout differently as compared to women. 

A study found out that of the three burnout dimensions (exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy), women first experienced exhaustion, followed by cynicism, and then last, inefficacy - this last symptom is a cumulative result of the sequence of the first two symptoms. Women don't think they are being effective at work or home, so they do not question this feeling when it happens. 

On the other hand, men tend to experience cynicism first, then exhaustion. The reason this aspect is interesting is because many men in the study kept working because they didn't feel that the symptoms from the first two stages impacted the quality of their work. They simply did not reach the inefficacy stage like women did, because they thought they were still being effective. 

Different Stages In A Woman's Career 

As per psychologist Barbara White there are 4 broad career stages that women go through: early career development, early 30s transition, settling down - late 30s transition and lastly, achievement & maintenance. These stages are not fixed and not unique to women only, however a burnout is possible does appear at one or more of these different stages in case of women. 

Finding solutions for a burnout don't have one single solution. To resolve having faced a burnout, involves modifying your life in a way that helps you find more meaning and purpose. This could mean multiple different things, changing the role in an existing job, seeking inspiration through a hobby or even, changing careers altogether. 

Conclusion 

As per Dr. Adam Grant, there exist multiple subsets of 'givers'. Of these types, "selfless" and "otherish" givers stand out. 

Selfless givers give their time and energy with no regard for their own needs. In the absence of a recovery mode inbuilt, selfless giving becomes overwhelming and can lead to burnout. In case of Otherish givers though, they are able to find a way to balance giving with their own self-interest and self-care. Selfless givers are more likely to burn out than Otherish givers. 

For a complex phenomenon, solving the puzzle of how a burnout occurs is a unique challenge. There are a few important points that women can keep in mind though, that will help them when it comes to challenging certain views, they end up having about themselves. 

5 Tips To Follow That Will Help Avoid Burnout 

  • Establish boundaries that treat your time after work in a way that is understanding of your free time as free time. Not time to divide between work and responsibilities at home. Look at your down time as something that is precious and vital to your well-being. 

  • Use networking time to also get to know women who are in the same career-space as you are or have been before. Time spent talking to other women and sharing different strategies that helped can often work as a catalyst for you to realise a possible alternative to a difficult situation you are going through 

  • Don’t let a bad day at work lead to a blanket dismissal of your abilities and competence at work. Make time for self-care that helps you get back on your feet - this could mean talking to a close friend, a counsellor, meditating, joining a class that makes you feel good about yourself, volunteering, taking a walk while listening to your favorite music, getting back in touch with old friends, learning a new language 

  • Invest in time to re-skill and learn more. Picking up a workshop or course that does this can sometimes mean going back to the basics and learning an old concept in an entirely new way, you never know what sticks or what might inspire you into getting that lost energy back in a way that you really wanted 

 
 
  

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Latest Comments

AnupriyaSarkar on 07 May 2024, 13:43 PM

This article has presented us with a nuanced as well as a comprehensive view of how women respond to stress and burnout in the workplace. It has also highlighted how societal expectations, workplace dynamics and different career stages have a different effect on either gender. As a psychologist, I am glad to see that there has been an emphasis on establishing boundaries, the need for self-care, seeking support, and investing in personal and professional growth as essential strategies for managing burnout. Furthermore, it acknowledges the significance of gender differences in the experience and processing of burnout, which is critical for creating successful support systems and interventions. In conclusion, this article provides important insights and useful recommendations for individuals, organizations, and decision-makers to address and prevent burnout among women in the workplace.