What Burnt Out Women Are Missing & Where to Start

Being a woman is one of my favorite things in the whole world. I never really appreciated it much or even gave it much thought until well into my mid-thirties. I became fascinated with females when I found out I was pregnant and watched my body do what it did to grow and birth my baby. It truly is miraculous what our bodies can do, and not just prenatally speaking. Pregnancy was the thing that lit the fire in me that I believe ALL women have.

Society would have us believe that women are nothing important. Never mind the fact that women literally bring life into the world — but I digress. This post isn't about just mothers but instead all women. The system was not built for women. In fact it almost seems like it was built in spite of us. We are expected to work like men, act like men, but at the same time cater and nurture all while receiving nothing in return. And we not only accepted this way of life but often feel, at the end of the day, like we still haven't done enough. We are, for the most part, giving far more than we are receiving, and this has left so many of us broken.

It is no wonder that most women are walking around a shell of themselves. It is no mystery why so many women are turning to alcohol to numb the pain. In a world where we are expected to do everything, there really isn't any time to give our bodies the nourishment and attention they need — so we find something to help us through the day. For me that was wine, but for everyone it's different.

Wine turned down the volume on everything, and while the relief was short lived it was relief nonetheless. Numbing and running is not sustainable though, and I believe that women are at a tipping point.

I know that no amount of protesting or demanding change will make a real difference because most of society is not listening. I understand that I have very little control over society. However, I do have control over how I treat myself. I know that establishing strong boundaries helps keep my mind, my soul, and even my body safe. I know that everything is data, and once I started to look at it that way it became easier to stop punishing myself and start getting curious.

I was drinking too much = data

My hair was falling out = data

My mood was terrible = data

I am tired all the time = data

I have no appetite = data

My anxiety is through the roof = data

When we are able to look at our state of being, our habits and behaviors, with a curious mind, we are better able to understand ourselves and make effective change.

Sober women are some of the most confident people I know, and I know some of them fought like hell to get there. If all women started to care for themselves the way we were always meant to, I believe women would become fiercely protective of that — of themselves, of their families, of their peace. Women would start to know their worth and protect it with everything they had. Because women are wonderful, beautiful, powerful creatures. And the ones who have taken the time to learn that about themselves? Unstoppable.

Feminine energy is not docile. Female energy is fierce.

I know we are all so busy. It is so hard to get started. Women were never meant to be isolated — but we are. We were never meant to do everything alone — but we do. We were especially never meant to mother alone. People lived in villages for a reason. We rose up and met the impossible demands that society placed on us, but it's time that we stop accepting that as normal.

So the real question is: what are women supposed to do when we have been conditioned not only to not take care of ourselves, but have also unintentionally built a life where our own needs aren't even part of the equation?

The answer starts with getting curious about the data.

A good first question is simply: am I nourishing myself? If the answer is no — let's start there.

When we are suffering from burnout, the body is burning through vitamins and minerals that are most likely already dangerously low. Here's what goes first:

Magnesium — the first thing to go under chronic stress. Cortisol burns through it constantly. Low magnesium looks like poor sleep, wired exhaustion, anxiety that won't quit, and muscle tension.

Zinc — chronic stress depletes it steadily. Low zinc causes immune system crashes, mood swings, and that flat empty feeling where nothing seems rewarding anymore.

B Vitamins (especially B5) — the adrenal vitamins. Your adrenals run specifically on B5 during stress. Chronically stressed women are almost always B5 depleted.

Vitamin C — the adrenal glands have the highest concentration of vitamin C in the entire body. Chronic stress burns through it faster than almost anything else.

Sodium and Potassium — adrenal fatigue significantly disrupts this balance. Cravings for salt are often the body asking for mineral support.

Iodine — the thyroid suffers under chronic stress and burnout, and iodine is foundational for thyroid function. A sluggish thyroid looks a lot like burnout — fatigue, brain fog, low mood, slow recovery.

I am not here to tell you to go buy a list of supplements. I always advocate for starting with whole foods first — because the body knows how to absorb minerals from real food in a way it simply cannot from a synthetic pill.

So here's where to start:

Bone broth — I know it's mainstream and I usually avoid mainstream things, but it truly is a mineral goldmine. Sip it like tea. It's one of the easiest ways to get real minerals into a depleted body.

Pumpkin seeds / pepitas — a great source of magnesium and zinc. Throw them on anything or eat a handful as a snack.

Liver once a week — the most mineral dense food on the planet. Yes, it's a hard sell. Chicken liver pâté is a more approachable starting point.

Leafy greens — cooked, not raw — cooking breaks down compounds that block mineral absorption. Sautéed spinach in butter delivers far more minerals than a raw spinach salad.

Mineral rich salt — swap your table salt for Redmond Real Salt immediately. Zero effort, immediate upgrade.

Mineral water over filtered water — most filtered water has been stripped of everything useful. Gerolsteiner is a good option.

Start small. One thing at a time. This is not another item on your already impossible to-do list. It is simply information — an invitation to get curious about what your body has been trying to tell you.

Part of the work I do is helping women implement these changes in a way that doesn't feel overwhelming. Because you deserve support that actually sees the whole picture not just your symptoms, but your terrain, your story, and your life.

If you want to work with me, click HERE.

Sending you love,
Brittany Rucka LPC-Associate

Supervised by Shawna-Lovin LPC-S