What is Mental Load and How It’s Damaging Your Life
Mental load is a relatively new term for working moms. What is mental load? Simply put, mental load is all of the “stuff” that you deal with on a daily basis to manage your household and family. Mental load consists of things such as picking up dry cleaning, scheduling doctors’ appointments, making sure that your kids do their homework, scheduling maintenance on your car.
Mental load is all of the things that we (primarily working moms) are tasked with every day. And it’s a lot. In a study conducted by Bright Horizons, 86% of working moms say they handle the majority of the family and household responsibilities.
And that mental load is causing a major strain on working moms where 52% are saying they are burning out from the weight of their household responsibilities.
Let’s take a look at what mental load is and how it’s damaging your life.
Impacts on Productivity
It’s no surprise that mental load can have a significant impact on your productivity. If you try to do all of the things, you will likely end up doing none of the things.
Always having something to worry about, think about, strategize, and plan takes you away from the present moment. The tangible impact on productivity is immeasurable, but it is safe to say that it is sizable.
Just think about your own experience. Think about the last week and all that you have had on your mind while you were at work. How many times do you think mental load has taken your focus off of the task at hand. For me, it happens more than I can count.
Impacts on Career Growth
It’s no surprise that over time, this mental load will have an impact on the careers of working moms.
It’s possible that this lost productivity will eventually limit career opportunities. Perhaps it will make working moms less desirable and cause them to miss career opportunities.
What is even more likely is that working moms simply can’t take one more thing on, therefore skipping career advancement opportunities. There have been several positions that I have passed up simply because the thought of learning a new role or taking on more responsibility was nausea-inducing.
Over time these missed opportunities can add up. Say you pass up an opportunity every 3 years, that can be up to 5 promotions you will pass up by the time your kiddo graduates (and that is assuming only one child).
Impact on Wellbeing
Not only do working moms experience a negative impact on their career as a result of mental load, but they may also see a negative impact on their health.
For one, this unequal distribution of mental load weighs heavy on your mental well-being. This stress adds up and can cause anxiety and depression. Often times, working moms never feel like they truly have the time to rest and recharge. They constantly have something on their minds.
This stress can also damage their physical health. Prolonged periods of stress can cause headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, upset stomach, and even increased susceptibility to illness.
Impact on Relationships
High levels of mental load can also have a negative impact on your relationships with friends and family.
For one, your relationship with your partner can be significantly impacted. For example, 76% of breadwinning working moms feel that they are mainly responsible for keeping their children’s schedules and ensuring they get to all of their appointments, only 22% of working dads say the same.
That inequity can create a lot of strain and resentment in a marriage or partnership.
In addition, high levels of mental load can damage your relationships with your kids. Always having something to do can take bonding time away with them.
Understanding what mental load is and why it’s damaging to your life is important in understanding how you can start to reduce that strain. In our next post, we will learn some strategies for how we can reduce this mental load and start taking our life back!
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