Do you secretly keep score of who does what in your relationship?
Do you feel like your partner gets to be carefree and happy while you’re stressed out trying to hold it all together?
In today’s episode, we talk about one of the most popular topics we’ve ever talked about: mental load.
If you’ve never heard the term before, mental load refers to the invisible mental burden of keeping track of household and family needs.
Seriously, people go bananas whenever we talk about mental load, so this is an episode you don’t want to miss!
Giveaway alert!
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts before June 20 and we’ll enter your name into a drawing to win any one of our courses for free! That’s up to a $1,000 value!
(Just make sure to take a screenshot of your review and DM it to us at @vanessamarintherapy. Apple doesn’t like to show every review, so we want to make sure you get added to the giveaway.)
Thank you in advance for taking the time to leave us a quick review!
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe for your weekly double date full of totally doable sex tips, practical relationship advice, hilarious and honest stories of what really goes on behind closed bedroom doors and so much more. It’s the sex education you wish you had!
Take a screenshot of this episode and tag us on Instagram @vanessamarintherapy and tell us your biggest takeaway! We can’t wait to hear what you thought of this episode.
Want your questions answered on the show? Send a DM to @vanessamarintherapy. We’d love to hear from you!
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- What mental load is, and why it’s so harmful to relationships.
- How mental load impacts your sex life in particular.
- Why women are socialized to carry the majority of the mental load.
- A step-by-step plan to balance the mental load between yourself and your partner, so you don’t create resentment and frustration.
- What to do if your partner doesn’t do tasks the way you’d like them to.
Here’s a glance at this episode:
[02:38] What mental load is.
[03:47] Why it’s so hard to carry the mental load.
[04:32] Fascinating poll results about people’s least-favorite mental load tasks.
[11:00] Why women are socialized to carry the majority of the mental load.
[13:25] How mental load can ruin your relationship.
[15:06] The specific impact of mental load on your sex life.
[22:23] Our best tips for balancing mental load in your relationship.
[48:35] Listener question: Why isn’t it a two-way street? There is no mental load that my partner bears for the family.
[49:41] Listener question: How do you help your partner understand mental load?
[51:00] Listener question: I’m a stay-at-home mom and my partner works. I feel bad asking him to do things since he works a stressful job all day.
[53:05] Listener question: My partner says it’s not fair for me to expect him to read my mind.
[54:07] Listener question: How do I remind my partner to do their mental load tasks? If I don’t remind him, he won’t remember.
[1:00:04] What if my partners learning their new tasks affects the family? For example, forgetting to pack snacks for the kids.
Links & resources
- Video: 5 Communication Tips for Couples
- Free Guide: The Simple Daily Check-In Every Couple Needs To Be Doing Right Now
- Masterclass: Bring Your Sex Life Back to Life
- Mental Load Workbook
Also, listen on
