040 The Mental Load
Today Kate talks about The Mental Load that Mums face on a day to day basis, juggling not only parenting, and work or business, but also, managing the household, the home admin, the endless list of things that need to be done and remembered, ensuring that everyone is where they need to be, when they need to be and with what they need to be.
- This has both a cognitive and emotional burden, which in many homes falls to the Mum.
- It is the things that need to be thought about, organised, remembered and planned for.
- This can include all of the small tasks in a household or family, which have never been agreed upon, as to who will do them. The important details. (Not only getting your child to a birthday party, but ensuring that a suitable present has been purchased, along with a card, that you have wrapping paper, and it is wrapped, card written and ready to go at party time).
- The constant mental “to do” list is emotionally taxing.
- In many (not all) households, there are many tasks that would simply not happen if Mum didn’t do them. Because no one else thinks about them.
- Brain dumping as a strategy to help to manage the mental load.
- Using reminders, apps, lists, systems, visual reminders and routines.
- Self care, and getting emotional support, or support with your mental health.
- Mental load as a result of the transition from the traditional expectation upon women to do the vast majority of the childcare and household task, whilst also now being expected to work full time.
- For some woman it’s “just easier to do it myself”.