High-Stakes, High-Stress: How Women Can Take Back Control

A woman wakes up at 5 a.m., catches up on pending office work from the previous day before her family wakes up, gets caught up in the morning family whirlwind of getting ready and tiffins for breakfast, runs to lead a boardroom meeting by 9 a.m., juggles multiple stakeholders through the day, parries off a couple of conflict situations, diffuses a volatile situation, then rushes home to cook dinner, help with homework, and humour an elderly parent—all while answering work calls. By 11 pm, she’s exhausted, but her mind won’t settle down. There is still so much to do. She needs to organise Spanish classes for her child in 8th grade and chemistry classes for her child in 12th grade. She needs to get medical tests done for her husband and also convince him to join a gym. There are two reports that need to be reviewed and sent before 10 am tomorrow to the CEO and finance director. She has not yet told her younger child that she will be travelling on the day of her annual performance.

Society calls her a “superwoman”, celebrating her ability to “do it all”. But beneath the praise is a quiet truth: she’s not thriving. She’s drowning. Drowning under the work, the responsibilities, and the guilt.

This is the reality for countless women in high-pressure jobs today. This is irrespective of seniority or profession. They can be CEOs, physicians, engineers, entrepreneurs, scientists, professors, and pilots, breaking glass ceilings at work, yet are still expected to be the primary carers, household managers, and emotional pillars at home. The world celebrates their resilience and multitasking but rarely asks: at what cost?

A 2023 Deloitte report found that over half of women in demanding careers feel chronically stressed, torn between professional ambition and societal expectations to prioritise caregiving, leading to burnout. Burnout isn’t a badge of honour—it’s a warning sign for the society at large.

For generations, women were told their place was at home. Today, they’re told they can “have it all”. Yet, most workplaces and homes still operate like it’s 1950. Women now contribute nearly half of household incomes globally, yet still do 75% of unpaid care work—cooking, cleaning, and childcare. Isn’t it like running two full-time roles? The pressure to excel in both isn’t just exhausting; it’s unsustainable. According to the World Health Organisation, heart disease, anxiety, and insomnia are rising among women in high-stress roles. There’s a need to understand the fact that the “superwoman” ideal isn’t empowering—it’s a trap.

The problem isn’t women. It’s a world that glorifies their hustle but doesn’t support it. Offices reward endless availability, while schools still call moms first when a child is sick. Partners “help” with chores and are even celebrated for helping, but women remain default managers of households. Women are promoted for being resilient, yet penalised for needing flexibility. The roots of this hypocrisy are both cultural and structural.

It’s time women took charge of the situation because it is their life, their bodies, and their minds. No-one else is going to do it for them. It’s time to be cycle breakers to put their own well-being first. We get one life, and if we have to live that one life to the fullest, then we need to prioritise what is important to us. When the world says, ‘Women can have it all,’ the question to ask yourself is, ‘What is “my all?’ Not what the society wants, or what my family wants, or what my boss wants? What do I want? What is important to me? What will give me happiness? What will make me satisfied and fulfilled? What will make me sleep like a baby at night? And once we define our all, we set boundaries and go after our all with focus.

1. Boundaries as Liberation

Setting boundaries isn’t selfish; it’s essential. Women are often socialised to see putting others before self as a virtue, but perpetually saying “yes” erodes mental health. Start small: Block time for yourself on the calendar to do something that is important to you. It could be 30 minutes or 1 hour. Mute work notifications after 7 p.m. or 8 p.m., whatever is feasible as per your profession. Start delegating – one task at a time – delegate one household chore, or decline a non-urgent meeting. Research shows that clear boundaries reduce cortisol levels and improve long-term job satisfaction. Ask yourself – is this task a glass ball, a rubber ball or a steel ball? If I drop the glass ball, it will break. Shattered glass hurts. So I need to get it done now. Do I need to do it? Or can I get it done by someone else? Is it a steel ball? If I drop it, it will just lie there, and nothing and no one will get impacted. Don’t even bother about these tasks. Then there are rubber balls. If you throw them, they will bounce back and hit you. So these are the ones you need to think about, schedule, prioritise, and delegate with care.

2. The Power of “No”

Ask yourself: the task I am going to do or being asked to do – is it going to make me feel a positive emotion? Am I doing this for myself? If the answer to both the questions is a yes, or even if to one of them is a yes, by all means go ahead. But if the answer to both the questions is a no, then say “no”. Every “yes” to a task that drains you is a “no” to something that sustains you. Time and energy are limited. Invest them in what makes you grow and thrive. Prioritise tasks aligned with your ‘all’ and values. As it was said, “You can’t pour from an empty cup. You can’t live a full life on burnout.”

3. Mindfulness as a Radical Act

Mindfulness isn’t just meditation; it’s intentional presence. A 2019 Harvard study found that 10 minutes of daily mindfulness practice reduces stress biomarkers by 14%. For working mothers, this could mean savouring a morning coffee without multitasking or taking a walk without checking emails. It’s about reclaiming moments of stillness in a chaotic world. Taking out time for yourself is not selfish; it is healing, nurturing and beneficial not just for yourself but for everyone around you.

4. Collective Care Over Individual Hustle

Women are often taught to internalise stress, as vocalising it is seen as a weakness and personal failing. But burnout is a systemic issue, not an individual one. Talk about mental health at work and home. Talk about things and behaviours that stress you. Let your children know that when they scream and fight, it stresses you. Let your partner know that not taking care of his/her/their health stresses you. At work, let your team members know that last-minute updates derail you. Slowly people will adjust, accept and respect. Own yourself with pride and authenticity. To drive systemic change, advocate for policies like flexible hours, subsidised childcare, or mentorship programmes. Support others through platforms like ERGs. In countries where parental leave is gender-neutral and workplace flexibility is mandated, burnout rates among women are 30% lower than the global average.

At the end of the day, we can wait for the world to wake up and take cognisance and responsibility for partners to change and so on. Till then, let’s make our own world stress-free in our own way!

Balance isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress, one boundary, one “no”, and one collective step at a time.

The road from burnout to balance is paved with empathy—for ourselves and each other. When we stop glorifying exhaustion and start valuing humanity, we don’t just transform workplaces; we transform lives. The road to balance isn’t easy, but it’s worth walking. Because women deserve more than survival mode. They deserve to thrive—not as superheroes, but as human beings.

Authored by Sonica Aron, Founder and CEO, Marching Sheep. Views expressed by the author are their own.