Why women are more anxious than ever

For decades now, women have been praised for their ability to “do it all”—to be leaders at work, caregivers at home, emotionally available partners, consistent friends, and the default organisers of everything from family to healthcare to holiday plans. Yet somewhere between breaking glass ceilings and meeting invisible expectations, a subtler form of depletion has become more common than it should have: invisible burnout.

Invisible burnout isn’t the kind of exhaustion that announces itself with dramatic breakdowns or collapsing deadlines. It’s the quieter, slower erosion of emotional energy that so many women learn to normalise—until it starts shaping every corner of their lives. It’s the kind of tired that doesn’t go away with a weekend off or a self-care routine. It lives in the body, settles into the nervous system, and often hides behind a polished surface of competence, ambition, quick replies, and calendars packed with obligations.

Invisible burnout is what happens when women push through chronic stress without visible “symptoms” because society expects them to. It’s not officially diagnosed, not discussed in routine conversations, and not always recognised as burnout at all. But its effects—mental fog, emotional numbness, irritability, sleep problems, hopelessness—are real and growing.

Anxiety is rising faster than we are admitting

This quiet crisis is reflected in emerging research. Harvard data shows that anxiety rates in women have doubled in the last decade, a surge that can’t be explained by “modern stress.” Instead, it mirrors a world in which expectations have multiplied, but the support structures around women haven’t evolved at the same pace.

Women today are navigating a complex mix of professional pressure, social comparison, digital overload, climate anxiety, financial uncertainty, and the emotional labour of relationships. Social media has turned every life milestone into a benchmark, every choice into a performance. And while millennials and Gen Z women are more open about discussing mental health, they are also living in a time when perfectionism has become a cultural language. From wellness routines to workplace achievements, there is an unspoken pressure to appear in control and be the 'boss lady', even when internally, things are fraying.

Harvard’s findings suggest a broader reality: women aren’t simply more anxious; they are carrying forms of stress that are chronic, compound, and often invisible. Mental health experts point to a pattern where women tend to internalise pressure more deeply, juggle multiple emotional roles, and feel responsible for the well-being of people around them. The result is a silent build-up of stress that resembles burnout but doesn’t look like the stereotype we usually imagine of someone unable to function. Instead, invisible burnout looks like functioning too well for too long.

"Some days I am so tired I don’t even realise it anymore. It’s like exhaustion has become my default setting. I am perpetually tired, more mentally than physically," says a 34-year-old working mother.

The problem with high-functioning everything

If the last decade has been defined by anything, it’s the glorification of the high-functioning woman—the one who juggles early-morning workouts, demanding deadlines, immaculate homes, and active social lives with seemingly effortless grace. But beneath this curated capability is a hidden tax: the pressure to keep going, no matter the cost.

"People keep telling me I am ‘so put together,’ but they don’t see how much I am holding in and how much effort it takes for me just to show up every day," a 32-year-old corporate professional tells me.

Invisible burnout thrives particularly among high achievers, perfectionists, caregivers, and women working in emotionally demanding fields. It’s also more common among women balancing traditional roles with contemporary ambitions. The contradiction is almost built into modern femininity: women are told to “lean in” at work while also being expected to be emotionally intuitive, socially available, digitally present, and aesthetically composed. It’s a lifestyle that looks aspirational on Instagram but feels increasingly unsustainable in real life.

The result is a nervous system that never gets to reset. Many women describe living in a constant state of “low-grade panic”—not enough to disrupt daily life, but enough to make it feel like they are always bracing for something. This simmering anxiety often goes unnoticed until it becomes overwhelming or manifests physically through headaches, gut issues, or chronic fatigue.

Why women are done being superhumans

If there is a cultural shift happening today, it’s this: women are starting to question the narrative of endless resilience. Many are stepping back from 'hustle culture', redefining ambition, setting firmer boundaries, and refusing to be the emotional default in every situation. The rise of conversations about rest, slow living, mental load, and emotional labour reflects a deeper truth: that women are no longer willing to sacrifice their well-being for the illusion of having everything under control.

"I don't want to be the boss lady or someone who has it all sorted in life. Because honestly, I don't, and no one does. I am done pretending that I can handle everything," a former colleague in her late 20s says.

Invisible burnout is being talked about because women are finally making the invisible visible. They are acknowledging the psychological toll of being “on” all the time and recognising that burnout doesn’t always look like dramatic collapse; sometimes it looks like chronic exhaustion and mental numbness.

But awareness is only the beginning. Various studies and data suggest that women need more than individual coping strategies; they need systemic support. Workplaces must address gendered burnout patterns, relationships need more balanced emotional labour, and society must move beyond superficial empowerment narratives to create actual structures of care.

The future of women’s well-being may lie in redefining strength altogether. Not as the ability to endure everything silently, but as the courage to acknowledge limits, shift expectations, and prioritise mental health without apology. Invisible burnout became an epidemic because women have been conditioned to keep going, and healing begins when they realise they no longer have to.

Lead image: IMDb
 

Also read: Did India miss the soft life memo?

Also read: What happens when boomers, Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z share the same office boardrooms?