Skip to main content

Exploring the Exhaustion Gap

March 7, 2022
Team
Berlin Cameron

Berlin Cameron

Kantar

Kantar

Fair Play

Fair Play

Challenge

Women have been set back in the pandemic often shouldering the burden of additional housework and career work.

Process

This research was conducted online using 1,001 respondents sourced from the Kantar Profiles Audience Network across the US (510) and UK (491). All interviews were conducted as online self-completion among employed people between February 18-22, 2022, and collected based on controlled age quotas: 25-34 (350), 35-44 (322), 45-54 (329).

Findings

Women are burnt out, isolated, and aren’t likely to ask for help

66%

of women have felt burnt out in the past 7 days (63% in the US and 57% in the UK).

71%

Burnout is even higher among younger women aged 25-34, reaching 71% globally (and 83% in the US).

50%

Only 50% of women are likely to ask for help if they feel burnt out. 16% of women don’t feel like they have anyone to ask for help.

66%

of women feel isolated. 41% of women feel isolated sometimes. And an additional 25% feel often or always isolated. Only 1 out of 3 men feel isolated.

21%

of women feel that they don’t have a good support system.

Women want acknowledgement for their unpaid and often invisible work, both at home and in the workplace. For partners, recognizing the additional tasks women handle around the house—beyond simply sharing household chores—can significantly reduce their stress. Employers can help alleviate women’s stress by not only offering flexible schedules but also acknowledging the extra responsibilities women take on at work. Women have been set back in the pandemic.

42%

of women feel that the pandemic has had a somewhat or very negative impact on their lives in general.

49%

felt that the pandemic has had a somewhat or very negative impact on their mental health.

32%

felt that it had a somewhat or very negative impact on their physical health.

27%

of women feel that their social circle has shrunk since the pandemic began.

26%

percent of women feel somewhat less or much less motivated in their career.

26%

of women feel it’s more difficult to complete a creative task than pre-pandemic.

66%

of women didn’t receive a pay or salary increase and 79% did not receive a promotion since the start of the pandemic.

55%

feel that not enough attention is given to women’s issues since the pandemic began.

35%

of women are doing fewer things that they enjoy and a lot less often than before the pandemic.

27%

of women are doing less things that they are passionate about since the pandemic.

27%

feel that not enough attention is given to women's issues since the pandemic began.

25%

of women are doing fewer things that are meaningful to them.

43%

of women feel somewhat or much less motivated to be social than pre pandemic.

Women are feeling more:

55%

Worried

57%

Stressed

55%

Frustrated

53%

Exhausted

51%

Emotional

46%

Stressed and cried at work recently

33%

Getting into more arguments

Women are feeling less:

24%

Creative

21%

Inspired

22%

Driven

Coping mechanisms that women are using (note all of these are higher in the US than in the UK):

42%

Binge-watching

35%

Exercising

34%

Stress eating

30%

Sleeping longer

25%

Playing more games

13%

Taking sleeping aids (18% in the US)

19%

More alcohol

Women are living for others:

55%

of women never or rarely do an activity that inspires them. (59% in the US and 51% in the UK)

36%

of women never or rarely do something just for them.

29%

percent of women never or rarely do an activity that doesn’t revolve around being productive.

60%

of women spend more than half of their week doing things for others.

Women wish they had more time to devote to taking care of themselves:

64%

of women wish they had more time for themselves.

64%

of women wish they could take better care of themselves.

53%

of women wish they could invest in themselves and their interests and hobbies.

When engaging in activities that are just for them:

36%

feel relieved versus 43% men

23%

feel inspired versus 33% men

22%

feel creative versus 30% men

28%

feel pampered versus 19% men

But they also feel:

25%

feel guilty versus 19% men

6%

feel ashamed versus 9% men

Conclusions

There is no ambition gap, just a glaring exhaustion gap.