Your Insights Into How to Turn Depletion Into Renewal

With the Thanksgiving season approaching, many of us are stepping back to reflect on the year and what we need to feel more grounded and re-energized.

Earlier this year, more than 1,400 of you took part in our annual Conferences for Women survey. You shared candidly how you’re feeling at work, what’s depleting your energy, and what would help you feel revitalized and engaged.

Your answers became the focus of our second annual report, Quiet Depletion & the Path to Re-Engagement, which reveals both the scope of the challenge and a hopeful path forward.

What We Heard

Depletion is widespread. Nearly everyone who responded said they feel depleted at least some of the time. In fact, one in three of you said you usually do. Many of you connected this to uncertainty about the future, unclear priorities, or a sense of being undervalued at work. 

In addition, the report finds that: 

• Nearly two-thirds of you said depletion affects your health, energy, motivation, creativity, or focus.
• 72% of you said it leads to lower engagement and morale.
• 55% of you said it leads to decreased productivity and innovation.

One respondent put it simply: “Feeling depleted makes me want to take more time off. I struggle to log in and feel less productive than I could be.”

The Path Forward

Despite the toll, you also offered hope and practical wisdom. When asked what would help you recover and re-engage, you emphasized:

• Meaningful Work: Feeling aligned with purpose and values.
• Connection: Opportunities to learn, reset, and feel part of a community.
• Flexibility: Time, space, and trust to manage energy sustainably.
• Supportive Leadership: Empathy, clear boundaries, and recognition.

In addition, 81% of you said you’d feel more engaged if your organization offered more support through participation in CFW offerings, citing benefits including:

• Higher motivation.
• Greater leadership and mentoring capacity.
• Increased loyalty and engagement.

As one woman shared, “Having structured support from my organization would make me feel valued and more motivated to give back in return.”

When asked about the most meaningful opportunities to provide support, you emphasized:

• Skill-building.
• Coaching or career guidance.
• Mentorship.
  

“I don’t just want to get through the day. I want tools that will help me grow and lead — even in difficult times,” another respondent said.

What It Means

Depletion isn’t just a personal issue. It’s an organizational one. But the path forward is clear: when workplaces invest in wellbeing, meaning, and community, women not only recover their energy, they reignite their leadership, creativity, and impact.

At Conferences for Women, that’s what we’re here to support. We create spaces for you. Whether at our annual in-person Conferences, our virtual National Conference, or through our year-round offerings — from our robust resource library to our Women Amplified podcast, the CFW App, this newsletter, and a growing social community — we help women and their organizations recharge, reconnect, and re-engage.

So as you take time this season to reflect and reset, we hope this report reminds you to take care of you — and that Conferences for Women has your back.

Read the full 2025 Report: Quiet Depletion & the Path to Re-Engagement

“Before I go off,” says Dr. Yaro Fong-Olivares, “I go to sleep.” This is just one of her delightful bits of wisdom she shares in this month’s special feature, Leadership Lessons.

She also shares what she used to believe about work that she no longer does and more. Read the conversation here.