Managing the Mental Load + Your Career

Honest Question - in your household, who has the main responsibility for the following tasks?

👉 Childcare
👉 Cleaning and other domestic activities
👉 Caring for other dependents

37% of women surveyed in the 2023 Deloitte Women at Work Report said they felt the need to prioritise their partner's career over their own - because they earn more.

But if Childcare (46%), Cleaning etc (42%) and Caring for Others (44%) are the responsibility of women at home, where is the room for career prioritisation? Which could result in the secondary earner becoming the primary earner...

These tasks are what's known as the 'mental load' or the 'second shift'. The role that many women take on once their day at work finishes.

Right now I'm creating a workshop around this area of the mental load for parent groups within organisations because I see the theme come through consistently with coaching clients and the impact that it has on both their careers and overall wellbeing.

If we want to increase participation of women in the workplace flexible working is absolutely a priority (my previous post). But we can't ignore the external factors that may hinder women from even considering it as an option. When there are so many plates to spin, what's the point?

Two books I'm using to inform this - and would highly recommend if you're interested in this area:

Fair Play by Eve Rodsky
Work, Parent Thrive by Yael Schonbrun

#mentalload #secondshift #workingparents #workshopfacilitator