Senior women are more likely than senior men to feel burned out and under pressure to work more, according to a 2020 McKinsey Report. They’re 1.5 times more likely than senior men to think about downshifting or leaving work, and almost three in four cite burnout as the reason. 

Dr. Charlynn Ruan is CEO and Founder of Thrive Psychology Group. One of her areas of expertise as a clinical psychologist is working with women in senior leadership roles. She helps clients process the pressures unique to them, including “the second shift,” where many women shoulder most or all of the burden of unpaid domestic labor after work hours.   

Even as she acknowledges that modern work is built on broken systems, Dr. Ruan aims to help women find ways to move the needle forward for themselves and those who follow. 

“There are the things we can’t fix and the things we can,” she says. “Let’s focus on the ones we can. We’ll be surprised how much progress we can make.”