How to Unload the Mental Load

Are you one of those who chucks everything into the dishwasher randomly?

OR do you meticulously line up everything so space is used optimally?

I’m definitely the LATTER! 

Where am I going with this? 

Well, my point is that I’M ALWAYS THINKING, whether it’s work, home, school, holidays, laundry, washing dishes, it’s all going on up there!

It’s called the MENTAL LOAD. 

And I know I'm not alone.

Our little grey matter is holding a huge amount of information and the effort to hold, process, manage, sort is VAST.

Many a coaching conversation will be about a client having too little time and too much to think about.  

They not only have a big job but are also thinking about all the stuff outside of work. And running a household with a family, is akin to being a CEO of boutique hotel with very demanding clients.

So you might be CEO of a company AND CEO of Homelife.  Double CEO.  

The clients who are double CEOs feel frazzled, running on empty, like they are not succeeding on all fronts. 

It’s not sustainable!  

So how do you Unload that Mental Load? 

I’m not going to say it’s easy because if it were, we’d all be doing it already.  But here goes:

1. Take stock of what the mental load actually consists of. 

Often those thoughts are running around and round and having a party up there, stressing us out but if we actually sit down and list them, it’s easier to see what needs dealing with. 

2. Do the Wheel of Life exercise. 

This is a fantastic way to get clarity on where you are in each segment of your life, what needs looking at, what success looks like and the steps you need to take to get there.

You can find it here.

3. Share the mental load! 

Don’t keep it to yourself.  Whether it’s to your team or your family, don’t bottle it up.  The best technique I use is to imagine we are standing shoulder to shoulder looking at a problem and working out the solution rather than trying to come up with it all by myself.

4. Say NO!

I know if you have deep people pleasing tendencies this will be a hard one but just say no to things you don’t want to do or that drain you or that you don’t have time for.

5. Remember, you cannot pour from an empty cup. 

You will be no good to anyone - yourself, your work, your family - if you run on empty so long that you burn out.  So take care of yourself, it’s business critical!

Let me know if you have any tips on how you handle the mental load.

Take care

Tracy