The Juggle

The mental load isn’t just about doing all the stuff. The mental load is constantly thinking about having to do all the stuff, and then, when you forget to do some of the stuff, the mental load is also about beating yourself up about that, while still trying to keep in mind all the other stuff you’ve got to do.

Is there a neverending commentary of things to do on a constant loop in your head? Pick up the kids, book dentist appointments, buy birthday gifts for the in-laws, make the packed lunches, put the laundry away... The mental load; emotional labour; the invisible burden … call it what you want but it’s insidiously impacting women’s lives.

Writer, influencer, podcaster, wife and mum Cat Sims knows only too well the toll that the pressure of the mental load can take on our happiness and mental health. When her kids came along, the unequal division of labour in her household came into stark relief and, desperate to play the role of perfect wife and mother (and with a husband who worked away a lot), she found herself struggling under the weight having to do it all.

With eye-opening honesty and her trademark dry humour, Cat tells the story of her relationship with the mental load. She talks about how hard it has been for her to communicate its detrimental effects to those around her as well as the devastating impact it had on her wellbeing – ultimately driving her to addiction and to a crisis point in her marriage.

This is a book that will incite honest conversation, make you feel less alone and give you the confidence to know that it is possible to share the mental load in a way that makes a difference.