Burnout Unmasked: How the Pandemic Hit Women Hard and What Can Help if it Persists
All genders struggled during and after covid, but the toll on women’s mental health was high.
The pandemic was (and continues to be) a source of great stress for many.
With the abrupt shift to online living, we had to contend with Zoom call etiquette, online schooling, and reduced contact with family and friends. In short, not only did we have to adapt to a radical new way of living, but we also had fewer opportunities to seek support from others.
While these stressors were felt by all sections of society, women were hit hard during this transition. Not only were they continuing their paid work, but as the default child carers and homemakers in many households, they needed to help the children with online school, make meals, and ensure the home was kept clean. These, among a host of other tasks traditionally considered "women’s work," may have contributed to the 61% increase in the gap between the prevalence of men’s and women’s mental health disorders during the pandemic (Adams-Prassl et al., 2022). Women were clearly being affected more severely by the stressors of the pandemic, but what exactly was causing these negative effects?
One of the primary theories proposed to explain the above results relates to women’s experiences of burnout during the pandemic. Burnout originally came to prominence in the common vernacular in the '90s, as work pressures caused employees to become less invested in their jobs, cynical about their value, and emotionally exhausted. Originally, burnout was thought to be a gender-neutral issue, but this idea has been challenged recently as studies show that women experience more and different types of work-related stressors than men (e.g., harassment; Aldossari & Chaudhry, 2021). If we expand our definition of work to include unpaid, invisible labour (such as homemaking), as well as traditional paid work, it is easy to see how women would have been burned out in all facets of their lives.
When lockdown hit, many spheres of life that were normally outside the home, such as work for the adults and school/daycare for the children, were now conducted within the home. Unfortunately, this shift interacted with the gendered differences in the amount of unpaid work performed, such that women took on the bulk of homeschooling and childcare responsibilities. This then left less time for career- and leisure-related activities. As a result, women were less happy than men since they had less time to engage in activities they enjoyed, and they experienced considerable role conflict because they needed to spend less time on their work during the day to tend to the children (Giurge et al., 2021). This conflict between being a partner, a mother, and an employee led to decreased satisfaction in many spheres of life as well as personal resentment directed toward their male partners (Stefanova et al., 2021). In short, not only did women tend to feel undervalued at home and unproductive at work, but they had less time for enjoyable activities, leading to the classic symptoms of burnout: emotional exhaustion and disengagement.
If you’re continuing to struggle, what can help?
Many blogs and articles exist that tout the principles of self-care as the final word in combating burnout. These include many suggestions such as journaling, setting firm boundaries, and reclaiming time for oneself that seem like easy fixes to the issue. In the case of caregiving and homemaking during the pandemic, women can’t just decide they won’t make dinner or help the children with school to reclaim their leisure time. Women’s anecdotal experiences of asking their male partners to step up with the housework or childcare are characterized by arguments and exhausting negotiations over many tasks (Aldossari & Chaudhry, 2021). In the end, it becomes easier for many to just do everything, rather than trying to change the status quo and get their partners to take some of the burden. Unfortunately, this ultimately ends up making women feel worse. Couples who tackle the housework as a team report being happier than those in couples who do the housework on their own (Giurge et al., 2021). Even though it may be difficult, frank and open conversations with your partner regarding the division of labour within your home are likely to reduce resentment and increase feelings of happiness in your relationship.
If it is difficult for you to seek support from your partner, don’t forget that there is a whole network of other women going through similar struggles online. Social support is one of the key factors that promote resilience to psychological disorders (Almeida et al., 2020). Use this to your advantage when you feel burned out and exhausted. Social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok have communities of women who connect with each other, share their struggles with burnout during the pandemic, and gain support and validation from hearing others share their own experiences.
Above all, resist the urge to avoid and disengage with the problem! Testimonials from women indicate that emotional disengagement from their partners and from their paid work is a common strategy used to cope with the stress of “doing it all” (Aldossari & Chaudhry, 2021). While this works in the short-term, sustained disengagement from life precludes you from experiencing its positive aspects and finding fulfillment where you are at. Not fully engaging with life reduces the belief that it has meaning and may lead to more severe mental illness or resentment for your partner down the road. It is important to deal with the problem head-on with problem-focused coping (Herman & Tetrick, 2009). What exactly this looks like for you will vary, but any strategy that deals with the changeable aspects of the situation has been shown to work better than strategies to cope with the emotional impact of the situation (i.e., emotional disengagement).
The pandemic has been a very difficult few years for many women. Less support from others and increased home and childcare duties added to their 40-hour work week means a greater prevalence of mental illness, emotional exhaustion, and burnout. This can feel isolating, but you are not alone! Seek out a community and share your story. You may find you are not as alone as you think.
Professional support can help!
In the intricate tapestry of life, particularly in these pandemic-ridden years, seeking professional guidance should not be a footnote but a highlighted chapter. The Dot Canada offers psychotherapy services uniquely designed to navigate the complexities women face today. Both emotional and statistical data emphasize the efficacy of professional mental health support in alleviating symptoms of burnout and mental distress (Dunn et al., 2020). Given the multifaceted nature of women’s roles and responsibilities, a customized approach to psychotherapy could be the missing puzzle piece in your quest for equilibrium. Don't merely exist at the intersection of work and home life; thrive there. Act now, and allow The Dot Canada to assist you in reconstructing a fulfilling narrative, free from the shackles of burnout. This is not merely an option; it's an imperative for holistic well-being. Transform the ink of hardship into the memoir of resilience you are meant to author.
SOURCES
Adams-Prassl, A., Boneva, T., Golin, M., & Rauh, C. (2022). The impact of the coronavirus lockdown on mental health: Evidence from the United States. Economic Policy, 37(109). 139-155. https://doi.org/10.1093/epolic/eiac002
Aldossari, M. & Chaudhry, S. (2021). Women and burnout in the context of a pandemic. Gender, Work, and Organization, 28. 826-834. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12567
Almeida, M., Shrestha, A. D., Stojanac, D., & Miller, L. J. (2020). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s mental health. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 23. 741-748. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-020-01092-2
Giurge, L. M., Whillans, A. V., & Yemiscigil, A. (2021). A multicountry perspective on gender differences in time use during COVID-19. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(12). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2018494118
Herman, J. L. & Tetrick, L. E. (2009). Problem-focused versus emotion-focused coping strategies and repatriation adjustment. Human Resource Management, 48(1). 69-88. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.20267
Stefanova, V., Farrell, L., & Latu, I. (2021). Gender and the pandemic: Associations between caregiving, working from home, personal career outcomes for women and men. Career Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02630-6.