The Usual Solutions to Burnout & Why They Don’t Work
Why Time Management and Boundaries Won’t Save You from Burnout, And What Actually Will
Before we dive into this week’s topic, I want to let you all know I’m giving a free workshop on avoiding burnout this Thursday, February 20 from 6:30 - 7:30 pm CT! If this post resonates with you, I encourage you to attend. I’ve partnered with NextGroup, a Chicago-based organization for working mothers to bring this workshop to the public.
From Burnout to Balance: Leadership Strategies for Working Moms with Susie Fishleder
Recent studies suggest 66% of working parents, especially working mothers, are experiencing burnout – feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by the demands of both work and parenting. Our society operates on the belief that mothers are an inexhaustible source of time, energy, and attention. Juggling a career and motherhood in a world that demands women give their all can feel impossible, especially when solutions to burnout often place the burden on individual women, suggesting they simply need to set better boundaries, manage their time more effectively, or ask for more help.
This workshop offers a fresh approach to achieving sustainable work-life integration, designed for ambitious women who want to thrive both at work and home. We’ll start with an acknowledgment of the pressures working mothers face today, then move beyond the usual talking points of time management and boundary-setting to explore unique strategies that embrace imperfection, tap into your natural strengths, and reduce stress. Participants will leave with practical tips to prioritize what matters, lead with presence, and cultivate a sense of balance.
If you’re a mother who’s striving to balance your career and family without burning out, this workshop is for you!
Learning Outcomes:
Redefine success by setting personalized standards that align with your values.
Leverage your natural strengths so your day feels effortless and energizing.
Learn how to integrate mindfulness and bodyfulness to stay grounded.
Register here: https://nextgroupus.com/events/from-burnout-to-balance-leadership-strategies-for-working-mothers/
Why the Usual Burnout Solutions Don’t Work
Okay, let’s get into it! Today’s post is directly inspired by this upcoming workshop. On Thursday I’ll briefly touch on why the usual strategies for burnout don’t actually work, because they pile even more responsibility onto women who are already carrying too much. Instead of addressing the systemic pressures that are fueling burnout, these solutions make it seem like women just need to try harder. But today, I want to take a deeper dive into why we keep hearing this same tired advice, even though it’s not actually helping.
The Same Old Advice (And Why It’s Not Enough)
We’ve all heard them before: “Just set better boundaries!” “Manage your time better!” These suggestions and more are well-intended, and sure, they have some value. Boundaries, time management, delegation, letting go of perfectionism, and others can help, but they’re not the full picture. The real issue? They place all the responsibility back on mothers without acknowledging the larger forces that shape our lives. We’re doing our best in a system that wasn’t built for us to thrive in. I don’t know about you, but I’m already pretty damn good at managing my time…and yet, I still feel overwhelmed. Because the issue isn’t just about scheduling or boundaries. It’s about a society that demands too much from us while giving too little in return.
Burnout Isn’t a Personal Failing
Let me say that again: Burnout isn’t a personal failing. If you’re exhausted, unmotivated, irritable, or feeling detached, that’s not because you aren’t trying hard enough. It’s not poor planning or a lack of willpower. Burnout is the natural consequence of impossible expectations.
We were never meant to meet work standards that assume endless productivity. We weren’t meant to raise children in isolation. Mothers, in particular, are expected to “do it all” for free because of the outdated belief that we’re just naturally better at caregiving. And when you read another article telling you to delegate better or let go of perfectionism, remember: you can’t delegate your way out of systemic oppression.
Why Do We Keep Believing These Myths?
Well, these tactics conveniently make you responsible for the solution, because that’s easier than fixing or even addressing the system. Capitalism and patriarchy thrive on convincing women they just need to “work harder” at self-care instead of questioning the structure that’s burning them out. The idea that burnout is a personal failure keeps people from pushing for systemic change.
In fact, the really nefarious part is the fact that self-care is a booming industry worth about $11 billion. If better time management actually solved burnout, that pretty planner you bought last September would have done the trick. And because these individual strategies don’t actually solve the problem, you stay exhausted and too drained to push for change. The system doesn’t care if you burn out; there’s always another worker to replace you.
What Actually Helps?
In Thursday’s workshop, I’ll talk about three mindset shifts that can actually make a difference. Burnout is a structural issue, but we still have to navigate it. One of my strengths is being able to zoom out and see the big picture while also zooming in to coach individuals through it. So on Thursday, we’ll talk about:
Prioritizing what really matters to you so you can redefine success on your terms.
Identifying your strengths so you can focus on work that feels energizing instead of draining.
Learning how to listen to your body through bodyfulness, so you can stop ignoring the signals it’s been giving you.
And here’s the best part - these strategies aren’t just about avoiding burnout. They’re also acts of resistance. Redefining what success looks like instead of chasing someone else’s dream? Revolutionary. Leaning into your natural strengths instead of doing meaningless tasks designed to numb you? Rebel. Listening to your body in a world that tells you to ignore it? Radical.
From Individual Fixes to Collective Action
Beyond these strategies, I want to keep the conversation going about shifting from individual fixes to collective action. But, and this is important, only when you have the capacity. When I coach clients, we talk about periods of change and how difficult they can be. The following suggestions are for when you’re not actively in burnout or transition and you have a little extra energy for resistance:
Advocating for workplace policies like paid leave and flexible work.
Normalizing asking for help and redistributing emotional labor.
Pushing for real boundaries, not performative ones (like when your boss says they respect work-life balance but still expects you to answer late-night emails.)
Unlearning the Productivity = Worth Myth
From an early age, we’re conditioned to believe that being useful makes us valuable. It starts in school with gold stars and “good behavior” and continues into adulthood with performance reviews and promotions. Motherhood reinforces it even more, because the “perfect mom” does everything without complaint. This belief fuels burnout because it makes rest feel like failure. But the truth is, you are valuable regardless of how much you do.
The Power of Support Systems
Finally, we need support systems. Not another pretty planner, not another time management hack but actual human connection. It’s hard enough just existing as a woman, mother, and worker. Trying to push back against systemic oppression? Even harder. We need each other. Community care is more powerful than self-care. Motherhood, leadership, and survival itself require strong networks of support.
Conclusion
Burnout isn’t just an individual struggle. It’s a systemic problem that demands systemic solutions. While we work toward bigger cultural and workplace changes, we also have to care for ourselves and each other in ways that reject the toxic myth that productivity defines our worth. The more we push back, support one another, and refuse to accept exhaustion as the norm, the closer we get to a world where thriving, not just surviving, is possible. Let’s keep challenging the systems that weren’t built for us and build something better together.