How to avoid BURNOUT

What happens when the go-go-go of a busy life leaves you feeling empty rather than fuelling your passions? With women disproportionately at risk, we speak to the experts

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So many women, regardless of whether they have children or a demanding job or elderly parents - or all or none of the above - are feeling burnt out and like the balls are flying a bit too fast to maintain the juggle with relative ease.

Dr Libby Weaver, a nutritional biochemist and author of Rushing Woman's Syndrome, sums it up succinctly when she says, "Never before have women been in such a hurry to do so many things and be there for so many people." She argues that, although the pace of modern life has drastically increased, our bodies still have cavewoman-like biology, which means they are seriously challenged to respond in a healthy way to all the new and constant pressures we face. Could we be steamrolling towards a kind of collective burnout?

Award-winning career coach Brooke Taylor says women suffer burnout disproportionally to men. "Just like there's a wage gap, there is also a burnout gap." While the World Health Organisation classifies burnout as an "occupational phenomenon", research shows it also impacts people undertaking unpaid home or care duties.

Brooke calls this "kin keeping", saying the work often "goes without credit". She adds women tend to carry more of the mental load at home. “Things like remembering everyone's allergies, arranging gatherings, and all of the at-home planning and prep.”

While stress and burnout are terms we often use interchangeably, it's important to note they're not the same.