Burnout and Women’s Ambition in 2025: Why Coaching Matters More Than Ever
Burnout has become one of the defining workplace challenges of our time. According to Gallup, 76% of employees experience burnout at least sometimes, with nearly a third feeling it “very often or always”. For women, the issue is amplified by the “second shift” of unpaid caring and household responsibilities, creating a unique and often overwhelming pressure.
The Reality: Women’s Ambition Meets Burnout
The latest 2025 Women’s Ambition Report surveyed 1,400 women across various industries. It found:
72% of women experienced burnout in the past year.
Of these, 61% said it stemmed from balancing home and career life, and 21% cited parenting responsibilities.
Despite this, 35% of women still list earning more as their top ambition for the next two years.
The challenge is clear: ambition remains high, but burnout threatens to derail it.
The Double Load: Paid Work + Unpaid Care
The unpaid workload at home remains deeply gendered:
Women in Australia perform 22.3 hours of unpaid domestic work per week, compared to 15.3 hours for men.
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency reports that men represent just 28% of primary carers.
Beyond Blue highlights that non-paid work contributes to burnout for around half of people, with parents and caregivers at particular risk.
In other words, many women finish one job only to start another at home. The “always on” nature of this dual responsibility leaves little space for recovery.
Workplace Drivers of Burnout
Gallup’s global research identifies five major workplace causes of burnout:
Unmanageable workload
Lack of clarity in role expectations
Unfair treatment at work
Lack of support from managers
Unreasonable time pressures
Burned-out employees are 63% more likely to take a sick day, and more likely to quit. When you overlay these structural issues with the additional strain of home responsibilities, it’s no surprise that women report higher levels of exhaustion and disengagement.
The Cost to Ambition and Growth
The 2025 Women’s Ambition Report shows that burnout is now one of the top three barriers to ambition (38%), alongside confidence (40%) and age discrimination (28%).
This has real consequences:
Fewer than half of women surveyed (44%) now work full-time, down 7% in less than a decade.
Many are prioritising job security over promotions or career moves, fearing the added strain.
Financially, “care burnout” can cost women up to AUD 18,000 per year in lost income and missed opportunities.
This data makes it clear that ambition in women isn’t what’s lacking, the system around women is.
Where Coaching Can Help
While systemic change is essential, women don’t have to wait for the system to catch up. Coaching offers a proactive way to protect wellbeing while sustaining ambition, and give women more tools in their toolkit to navigate the unique challenges they face.
Evidence-based coaching can:
Strengthen boundaries: Helping women say no, delegate, and set realistic expectations.
Build resilience and adaptability: Skills that 32% of women in the Ambition Report state they want to develop.
Boost confidence: Addressing the most cited barrier to ambition (40%).
Reframe success: Moving from “doing it all” to focusing on meaningful, energising goals.
Create accountability: Supporting sustainable changes in energy management and workload.
A Call to Action
Burnout is not a personal failing, it’s a systemic issue that requires both organisational reform and individual support. Employers must address workload, fairness, and flexibility. But women can also benefit from the space, structure, and strategies that coaching provides.
If you’re feeling stretched between work, care, and ambition, coaching can help you reclaim balance and energy. By investing in your wellbeing, you’re not stepping back from ambition, you’re making it sustainable.
Want to explore how coaching can help you or your organisation tackle burnout? Let’s talk.
