Women are Burning Out

Brain fog, fatigue and chronic stress — 53% of U.S. women are burned out. Here’s how to cope.

Victoria Fricke had her first panic attack shortly after the coronavirus pandemic hit.

The 34-year-old mother of two is a travel agent with her own business. The cancellations piled in as her children’s school and daycare shut down.

One year later, Fricke is still struggling, often feeling burned out.

“There are not enough hours in the day” said Fricke, who lives in Indianapolis with her husband, 6-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son. “I am working late into the night.

“I am not sleeping well,” she added. “The anxiety and the frustration that I can’t do it all, that’s the hard part.”

Fricke is one of the millions of working moms across the country trying to juggle their jobs, virtual schooling and childcare during the pandemic. Some women are dealing with loss of income, others may be caring for aging parents. They may be isolated from coworkers, friends and family.

One of the root causes of burnout is lack of fairness, which is something women have been dealing with in the workforce for a long time, said workplace expert Jennifer Moss, author the upcoming book “The Burnout Epidemic.”