“You can easily manage the household on the side” or “These tasks are not worth mentioning”. Oh yes! Because behind the invisible everyday burdens hides the term mental load. What exactly is behind this term, we tell you in today’s post. In addition, we want to give you a few tips if you feel “mentally loaded”.
MENTALLY OVERLOADED?
Mental load is another word for overload in everyday life. Based on cognitive load theory in psychology, it can be explained that the so-called working memory, i.e. the area responsible for information processing and problem solving, can only absorb and process a certain amount of information. If an increased mental load takes place in the long term, i.e. an excessive flood of information, then there is an overload. So our repertoire is completely exhausted. This type of overload can lead to a feeling of helplessness, nervousness or a kind of “rigidity”. In the latter case we are so overloaded that we are simply unable to act. In particular, when information has to be processed simultaneously or subconsciously and “incidentally” these feelings occur.
Due to the often still prevailing typical role distributions, such a burden can be observed especially among mothers, who colloquially “have to get everything under one roof”: education, job, household.
The consequences include stress in personal relationships and an increased stress level, which manifests itself in exhaustion, anxiety and fatigue up to burnout symptoms.
SO YOU CAN REDUCE YOUR MENTAL LOAD!
Probably everyone can now imagine what Mental Load is and how it feels. Have you ever been affected by it and wondering how mental load can be reduced? Below you will find seven practical tips that can be easily integrated into everyday life and can help you reduce your mental load.
8 TOOLS TO REDUCE MENTAL LOAD
- Clear structures and routines: The more often the brain performs a certain activity in constant sequences, the more automated this process can be. The good thing here is that automation requires less mental capacity. Routines can thus be used to create a structure and reduce mental load.
- Create to-do lists and stick to them: Consciously plan time for certain things. For example you can already visualize the tasks of the coming week on Fridays in order to start the new week well prepared. You can do this for both your professional and private life. Sit down with your partner and document everything that comes into your head. Even the smallest household chores such as washing clothes, taking out garbage, cooking, cleaning, etc. should not be forgotten. This list of recurring tasks theoretically only needs to be created once – this saves you a lot of time.
- Shared scheduler: The next step is to create an (online) scheduler that the whole family has access to. All to-dos, upcoming appointments, birthdays etc. are therefore visible together. Each family member can see what the other has done and thus also take responsibility. It may even be possible to make a game out of it; The one who has done the most during the week wins a little something or is just spoiled by the others for a day.
- Learn to say no: Do you feel overwhelmed and still continue to take on new tasks? Then it’s time to say no. Are you asked if you would like to volunteer as a parent advocacy? It’s okay to point out your limits. Get to know your own limit and consciously decide whether you can do this task in addition. Consciously plan 5-10 minutes a day to reflect on how the current week is going and how you feel.
- The relaxation chair – time for yourself: You’ve done most of your to-do list? And even if not, it’s time to relax. Choose a place in your home where you can consciously gather new strength. This can be your favorite armchair, the bathroom or the garden where no one is allowed to disturb you for a certain period of time. You can use this offline space to detach yourself spatially from your tasks. During this time consciously pay attention to your own needs and wishes. You’re not a bad person just because you think about yourself.
- Let go of perfectionism and responsibility: In the stress of everyday life, fun must not be neglected. So plan a fun day on which, for example, the children can decide what should be done or cooked. Thus, you consciously hand over the responsibility. This may seem difficult at first, but you’ll get used to it quickly.
- Get active support: Mental capacities can be used up quickly. What resources can you draw on? Friends, family, leisure activities? In the household, everything is too much for you? Look for a cleaner or babysitter who can relieve you. The children have to be taken to football every Tuesday? Get in touch with other mothers and form carpools. As our parents said to us back then: “Only speaking people can be helped.” So express your wishes and ask for support.
- Visualize a safe: Use this method to consciously switch off and mentally disconnect from your tasks and stress, preferably in the evening before falling asleep. Close your eyes and imagine a safe. You open the vault and gradually place all your tasks and worries of the day in the form of small stones individually into the safe. Take your time for this and assign a worry to each stone, such as “Today I was very annoyed that I had to do the laundry alone again”. Fill the safe and when you’re done, lock it and store the key so that you can’t get it back until tomorrow morning. The heavy stones are stored overnight in the vault and you have to think about them again tomorrow morning and open it, or even better – Maybe they will be gone by tomorrow morning.
Reduce your mental load and go through your everyday life more satisfied and much more relaxed.