Feeling overwhelmed with holiday planning, work, and family responsibilities? Discover the invisible load moms carry, why it matters, and how the Busy Mom’s Calm Routine Reset can help you reclaim your mental space.
If lately you’ve felt like your brain is doing overtime — planning meals, juggling holiday gifts, tracking kids’ schedules, remembering school events and deadlines at work — you’re not imagining it. You might be carrying what experts call the “invisible load,” and trust me: you are definitely not alone.
What is the “invisible load” anyway?
The invisible load — also called the “mental load” or “cognitive household labour” — refers to all the thinking, organizing, anticipating, remembering, and planning that keeps a household and family life running smoothly. It’s the behind-the-scenes work most people don’t see — until it all becomes too much.
And while household chores might sometimes be shared (like folding laundry, cooking, cleaning), the cognitive labor often is not. According to a recent study surveying 3,000 parents, mothers carry approximately 71% of all household mental load tasks — that’s far more than fathers on average.
That includes daily coordination — meal‑planning, appointments, kids’ schedules, emotional check-ins, even little details like remembering to replace household supplies.
Why Moms Feel Overwhelmed, Especially During the Holidays
This invisible load isn’t harmless. Because it’s mostly background work — always running in your mind — it often doesn’t get acknowledged. As a result, many moms end up burned out, emotionally exhausted, or mentally drained.
And here’s the kicker: with the holidays just a few weeks away, the mental to‑do list tends to multiply. Holiday planning, gift lists, family gatherings, travel arrangements… It’s like the invisible load suddenly gets a megaphone.
For moms who are balancing work, parenting, and home life — this season can easily tip overwhelm into stress, anxiety, and decision fatigue.
Unpacking the Load: Why “Unseen” Doesn’t Mean “Insignificant”
Because the mental load is mostly invisible, it’s easy for others — partners, friends, even the moms themselves — to overlook how heavy it really is.
But the impact shows up in real ways. The constant juggling of mental tasks reduces bandwidth for self‑care, personal goals, career growth, or even rest. It drains energy, blurs boundaries between “home life” and “me time,” and can lead to burnout, stress, irritability, and feeling chronically behind.
We deserve better than “invisible.”
A First Step: Lightening the Load with the Busy Mom’s Calm Routine Reset
You don’t have to carry all those thoughts and plans in your head — not alone, not forever. That’s why I created the Busy Mom’s Calm Routine Reset — a gentle, practical tool to help you unpack and reorganize that invisible load.
Here’s what the routine reset can help you do:
- Mental dump – Get everything out of your head. Write it down. Clarity starts there.
- Simplify – See what can be simplified or removed.
- Delegate – Notice which tasks can be shared — or handed off.
- Reduce decision fatigue – Fewer mental choices = more peace.
- Give your nervous system a break – Create mental space to rest, breathe, and recharge.
If your mental load feels heavy, this reset can be the quickest way to soften it.
Download the free checklist here.
Why It’s Not Weak to Let Go — It’s Self‑Leadership
Letting some of the thinking go — the buying, the planning, the endless remembering — doesn’t mean you don’t care. It means you’re choosing presence over pressure.
Unloading doesn’t make you lazy. It makes you human. It means you’re practicing emotional regulation, building healthy boundaries, and protecting your energy.
Especially as the holidays approach, giving yourself permission to lighten the load can be the difference between enjoying the magic — and feeling like you’re drowning in it.
Want to Talk It Out? Free 15‑Minute Listening Calls
Because I know how isolating this mental juggling can feel, I’m offering a few free 15‑minute research calls with moms who want to share what the invisible load feels like this holiday season.
No sales pitch. Just a listening ear.
If you’re open to sharing, click the button below — let’s talk. Your voice matters more than you know.
Reclaim Your Mental Space This Holiday Season
You don’t have to carry every detail, expectation, or plan in your head. You don’t have to be the silent brain absorbing all the load.
Use the Busy Mom’s Calm Routine Reset. Let go a little. Ask for help. Share the load.
Because what you carry isn’t invisible. What you decide matters.