We Talked About It During COVID. But Nothing Changed.

Remember 2020?

When the world shut down, and suddenly we had no choice but to see what had always been there?

We saw the pressure working women carry - laid bare.

We saw the unpaid labor, the juggling act, the mental load.

We saw how women were leaving the workforce in staggering numbers, not because they wanted to, but because the system was never built for them in the first place.

We read headlines about a “she-cession.” We reposted articles about burnout. We had big conversations about equity and flexibility and the impossible expectations placed on working moms.

For a moment, it felt like the world was finally getting it.

But here we are.

The headlines are gone.

And so many women are still running on empty.

We’re back in the office - or working hybrid - packing lunches, managing school emails, booking appointments, chasing career goals, caring for aging parents, signing permission slips, leading teams, folding laundry, and trying to squeeze in 10 minutes for ourselves without feeling selfish.

We saw it. We named it. But we didn’t change it.

And here’s the hard truth no one likes to say: the system isn’t going to save us.

The world isn’t going to suddenly stop asking too much.
Workplaces aren’t going to restructure themselves overnight.
Your calendar won’t clear on its own.
No one’s going to come knock on your door and say, “You’ve done enough. Let me take it from here.”

We are the ones who have to draw the line.
We are the ones who have to give ourselves permission.
We are the ones who have to choose something different.

Because burnout isn’t a badge of honor.
Exhaustion isn’t a personality trait.
And self-sacrifice at the expense of your own well-being isn’t sustainable.

So here’s what I want to tell you:

You are allowed to take up space.
You are allowed to rest.
You are allowed to invest in yourself - in your growth, your healing, your joy.
You are allowed to say, I matter, too.

Whether that means seeing a therapist, hiring a coach, signing up for a class, taking a weekend alone, asking for help, renegotiating responsibilities at home, or simply going to bed early - you don’t need to justify it.

The world didn’t change after COVID. But you can.

And maybe that’s how the real change begins.