@ascedbyme: I drew this mental load map to better understand my wife, and when I showed it to her, she looked at it and said, “Yeah, that’s exactly it.” What stood out to me is that the mental load isn’t just a list of things to do. It’s multiple roles happening at the same time. Being a mom has a list. Being a wife has a list. Work has a list. And each of those lists has more lists underneath it. While she’s trying to be a good mom, she’s also trying to be emotionally available for me. While she’s trying to keep up at work, she’s also thinking about the house. While she’s taking care of everyone else, she’s often carrying dozens of things that never make it onto a calendar or a checklist. The biggest lesson for me wasn’t figuring out how to solve all of it. It was learning to acknowledge that it exists and finding ways to take ownership of some of those lists so she doesn’t have to carry them alone. Sometimes people don’t need you to fix everything. They just need to know you see what they’ve been carrying. If this resonates with you, check my Story Highlights and take the free Emotional Leadership Assessment to see where you’re at as an emotional leader in your household, and join The Household for more conversations like this.

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Wednesday 03 June 2026 15:55:44 GMT