@thewellbeingscientist: I’m 6 months out from getting my PhD, and I cannot help but think, did I make a huge mistake? In light of data showing that more than 455 thousand US women existed the workforce, with 58% of those leaving voluntary, I can’t help but ask myself if I too will become a statistic? According to the Catalyst, the key driver for women’s departure was because of the lack of workforce support for caregiving responsibilities coupled with the raising costs of living, and childcare. First off, tf are we only coming to this realization now? and second, I think that this issue is much deeper than adding more flexible work structures and calling it a day. Im still in the early stages of understanding what it might look like to integrate matriarchal principles into the workplace - but I think the key point here is that we can’t keep trying to solve the same burnout and retention crisis with the same patriarchal logics that created it in the first place. I think it’s a fundamental that we reimagine the purpose of work, who it is meant to sustain, and who it’s meant to serve. And to any woman questioning whether getting your degree is “worth it”—I don’t think the answer is to opt out. I think it’s that we’re walking into these spaces with different intentions. We’re not just here to succeed within these systems. We’re here to question them, reshape them, and build something better with what we’ve learned.

★ thewellbeingscientist ★

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Friday 20 March 2026 18:46:41 GMT