Beyond the physical workload of clearing out the dishes and the laundry while wrestling toddlers in tantrums, mothers face a silent, but tough battle: a heavy mental load.
Mental load, which according to several studies is an overlapping of cognitive labor (thinking about the maintenance of the household, planning) and emotional labor (keeping everyone in the family emotionally sound), has affected many mothers worldwide, especially during the pandemic. This is on top of the unpaid physical labor that most mamas have traditionally dealt with.
The phenomenon is most likely to stay, with many women forced to juggle job demands and family responsibilities. Mental load strips a mama of the full ability to rest her mind and do things for herself. It makes her cranky, thereby affecting her relationships in the household. She could develop anger management issues or anxiety, and even lament becoming a parent.
Does this sound like you? Here are a few ways to cope:
1.If kids thrive in routine, so can mamas!
Knowing what to expect during your day can help you ease the burden of preparing how to do your next tasks. Get up earlier than usual for a peaceful coffee me-time, if not every day then at least once a week. Set a time for morning showers so you can bathe without a kid knocking outside your door. Set a time to journal or put a mask on as part of your daily self-care routine.
2.Hydrate better.
According to a study, water deprivation “had negative effects on vigor and esteem” and “impaired the cognitive performance, such as that related to short-term memory and attention.” In another study by the University of Connecticut, researchers found that dehydrated people were “more cranky and fatigued.” If you’re feeling not-so-yourself, grab a tall glass of water and drink up.
3.Automate some tasks.
Listing groceries while answering work emails? They say don’t multitask but that’s just nearly impossible for many mamas. But thanks to technology, there are smart machines that allow you to set and forget, like washing machines and robot vacuums.
Here at edamama, you can do just that with the Subscribe and Save, which means you can have diapers, baby detergents, and other baby care needs to be delivered every month, at a discounted price and with free shipping nationwide!
Don’t worry about being forgetful about your purchases: you’ll also get notified 3 days before each succeeding order is placed so you can choose to make any changes to your subscription as needed– add or subtract items, swap payment methods, change schedules, or even skip an order, without any hidden fees.
4.Catch more snooze and sun!
This one’s a very hard task, we know. After all, when everyone’s asleep and we finally find time for our Netflix-and-chill moment, sleep is not a priority. How about setting a late-night schedule only twice a week instead of putting up an all-nighter only to end up more tired the next day?
If you need improved sleep, you should also get more sunshine during the day to improve your circadian rhythm. Based on a study published by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, workers who had less sunshine exposure “had significantly worse scores” on physical well-being and vitality.
Bring kids to a nearby park, do a 5-minute walk around your neighborhood, or soak up some sun while hanging up the laundry.
5.Don’t be shy to ask for help.
Verbalize your need for support. Tell your husband you need a breather. Give them specific tasks - burp the baby, change nappies, play with the toddler, and more. For those who have just given birth, it is important to discuss with your spouse the kind of involvement that you expect. The World Health Organization said “encouragement of partner involvement, by being part of checkups, for instance, as well as providing support to the woman and attending to the newborn,” are among crucial steps to ensure the wellbeing of mothers.
Husbands can also help ease their wives’ mental load. They can do the shopping for household essentials. Tech-savvy or not, shopping at edamama is a breeze.
