MissPerceived Why You Can’t Outsource Your Mental Load: The Sticky Truth for Moms
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Nov 11, 2025 Dive into the eye-opening findings on the relentless mental load that mothers carry, and why it stays with them despite financial success. Discover the distinctions between core and episodic tasks and how they impact family life. Learn how high-earning fathers are slightly shifting the balance of cognitive labor, yet gender biases still persist. This illuminating discussion sheds light on the connection between the mental load and burnout, all backed by fresh research that resonates with many parents today.
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Research Background And Lab Plans
- Leah describes her research project collecting 21 measures of domestic mental load.
- She also mentions building a lab measure and forthcoming quizzes to help people assess their mental load.
Core Vs Episodic Mental Load
- The domestic mental load splits into core and episodic tasks that cluster by frequency and consequence.
- Core tasks (scheduling, childcare, cleaning, social ties, food) are frequent and stick to mothers, while episodic tasks (finances, home maintenance) cluster differently.
Mental Load Follows You Anywhere
- Mental load travels everywhere: work, bath, walks, and wakes you at night.
- That mobility means higher earners can't simply 'drop' cognitive labor by outsourcing time-consuming chores.
