Behind the Smile: The Untold Stories of Burnout in High-Functioning Women

Womanship founder Nicolette Lazarus will be in conversation with Vassia Sarantopoulou, founder of the Self-Compassion in the Era of Burnout Summit 2026.
Together, they explore a side of burnout that often goes unseen.
Not the version we recognise too late.
But the version that sits behind capability, success, and “holding it all together.”

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## What we’ll explore

• Why high-functioning women are often most at risk of burnout
• The disconnect between external success and internal experience
• The pressures women carry but rarely name
• What silence costs us – individually and collectively

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## Why this matters

Only 29% of women say they feel able to fully open up about what they’re going through.
This session creates space for a more honest conversation – one that reflects the reality behind the surface.

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## Part of the wider summit

This session is part of the Self-Compassion in the Era of Burnout Summit 2026, a two-day event exploring burnout, resilience, and more sustainable ways of living and working.

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## Register here

👉 Access the full event and this session here:

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## A note from Womanship

At Womanship, we see how often women continue to carry more than they share.
This conversation is part of a wider shift – creating space for what’s really going on beneath the surface.
Because when we begin to say it out loud,
things don’t just feel lighter – they become clearer.
Share more. Worry less.