The Covid-19 crisis has wreaked havoc on the lives of working women.

Women, especially mothers and women of color, have been hit hardest by the crisis, and many women have lost jobs or left jobs because of the pandemic.

In fact, female workforce participation has already dropped to 57%—the lowest level since 1988, according to the National Women’s Law Center.

And, according to the 2020 Women in the Workforce Report by McKinsey and LeanIn.org, one in four women are considering downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce due to Covid-19.

The desire to leave the workforce can be especially sharp if you’re feeling undervalued at work.

It makes the decision to leave that much easier.

The Coronavirus pandemic has upended our lives and demanded more from all of us. We’re navigating a new world of extreme telework, we’re stocking up on months’ worth of food and household supplies, we’re taking on more responsibilities at work and at home.

There are more virtual happy hours, family dinners, coffee chats, and Meetups than one could possibly fit into a week. There are more deadlines, more meetings, more assignments. There’s more pressure to perform, more pressure to get it right.

And there’s more burnout.

As a smart, talented, glass-ceiling-busting, emotionally-intelligent, compassionate woman leader, you know what it’s like to feel stress at work.

An assignment from a senior leader arrives without warning. Three emails pile up for every one you address. Your team members seek you out for problems they could solve themselves. Your cell phone rings, your calendar is filling up with meetings, and you still have to address a performance issue with a direct report.  

You come home from a long week feeling tired – emotionally and physically. Your fight-or-flight response is in overdrive, and over time, this constant navigation of stressful scenarios could lead to burnout.