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Have you ever felt frustrated, exhausted, or resentful about the disproportional invisible and emotional labor you, as a woman, carry around your home?
Robyn Miller discusses the ‘Mental Load’ with me on today’s podcast.
The concept of the Mental Load is hundreds of years old. In many western countries since the 14th-century women’s energy has been seen as a natural resource to fuel the family (according to feminist scholar Silvia Federici, one of my hero’s).
Today, even though women have near-equity in so many diverse areas, we often still find ourselves carrying more than our share of the mental load.
Some examples of the mental load from Robyn’s project include:
- My mental load means going away with my partner & kids, and packing for all 4 of us
- My mental load means being the parent to work out alternative childcare arrangements when both of us are being slammed at work
- My mental load means reading a book on the mental load to come up with a plan around redressing the mental load
The mental load, the feminine & creating a more embodied future intersect in so many ways.
Join Robyn & me for a conversation on…
- What the mental load is & how Robyn first realized the extent of her’s
- The subtle and sneaky ways women take on more & more executive functions in the home
- Why outsourcing isn’t the holy grail of freeing up your time/energy
- Why delegating a single task isn’t the solution
- Two practical (& critical) tips for rebalancing the dynamic
- How the feminine/masculine energy dynamic impacts the roles we play
Notes on Language
- We’ll be using terms that describe heteronormative family units and husband/wife roles but I want to be clear that this dynamic can play out whatever your gender identity or relationship dynamic and I hope you can substitute our language for whatever works best for your situation.
- This podcast includes adult language
About Robyn
The Mental Load Project
Robyn Miller is an Australian medical doctor working in Northern Australia. Upon returning to work after maternity leave, Robyn, like many women, experienced the struggles of the “mental load”. When she couldn’t find any strategies to effectively “off-load” half of this invisible labour to her partner, Robyn drew upon her own skills and experience in neuroscience and organizational management to develop her own, unique approach. In 2019, she founded The Mental Load Project to help other women to recognize and rebalance the mental load in their relationships. She has since taught her strategy to dozens of women internationally. If you’re curious about finding out more, download her free guide at mentalloadproject.com/guide
Resources Mentioned in This Podcast
- Emma comic, you should have asked
- Dr. Robyn Miller’s website, The Mental Load
- The Mental Load Project Instagram **highly recommend**
- The Mental Load Guide
- The Mental Load Facebook Group
- Further suggested reading, Fair Play by Eve Rodsky
- School of Embodied Arts
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