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- Volume #23: Lighten the Load© Audit PDF ⬇️
Volume #23: Lighten the Load© Audit PDF ⬇️
Isabella from Simplish
May 09, 2024
“The greatest gift that you can give to others and to yourself is time.”
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It’s heeeere!
Forget those $7 Hallmark cards people, and give women what they really want this Mother’s Day; their time back.
We are thrilled to present a comprehensive audit of household management, a totally free PDF worksheet designed to help busy women reduce the burden of keeping all of the balls in the air - with help from everyone at home.
This worksheet is an exclusive freebie from our upcoming program called Lighten the Load©, a mindful, systems-based guide with five steps to help you reduce the mental load at home. The audit is the first step of this program, and will give you an overview of which responsibilities are causing the most stress - and why.
Table of Contents
Support the Women In Your Life This Mother’s Day & Share the Audit
This guide is the perfect gift to truly recognize the women in your life who do it all - giving all household members clear steps to take a lasting load off their shoulders.
And no, this isn’t just more “homework” for Mom. Whether you are a Mom or you have a Mom - I’m pretty sure that covers everyone - you can make a difference by filling out the audit.
🎁 You’re a Mom: Send this to Dad and your kids, and ask everyone to fill it out instead of buying a Mother’s Day card.
🎁 You Have A Mom: Share resources with your community to raise awareness of the domestic labor gap in honor of Mother’s Day! Here are a few ideas based on living situation:
You Live with Mom: Print enough copies of the audit for everyone in your home to fill out and slip into your Mother’s Day card. Print an extra one for Mom so she can relax while you lead the conversation on the mental load using resources from the blog below ⬇️
You Live with A Partner: Send this email to your sweetheart, and ask them to fill out the audit with you to recognize the domestic labor gap in honor of Mother’s Day. Finish off with some cake to celebrate.
You Live with Roomies: Share this email with your roomies and print copies of the audit for your next house meeting.
You Live Solo: Send it to all of the women in your life who live with the mental load to let them know you see them 👀
What the Research Says
Why this? Why now?
Well, women are losing time - in fact, 2.7 hours per week, to be exact - to an unequal distribution of labor in the home. In American households with heterosexual couples where both partners work, women are still doing more than twice the household work as men. ¹
Is it any wonder that working women are at a higher risk of burnout than working men? In 2023, 33% of employed women reported burnout very often or always, while only 25% of men reported the same. ²
We hope this resource can help households address the mental load that women carry, and prioritize wellbeing together 💕
Wait, what’s the mental load again? Here’s a quick refresher:
The mental load is the cumulative cognitive and emotional burden carried by women of coordinating tasks, responsibilities, and decisions, within families and social groups.
While the mental load is primarily carried by women, it’s up to the whole household to recognize the problem and make changes that give women a real break - and their time back.
More Resources On the Mental Load from The Flow State Magazine
 | Hint: It’s more than the sum of your (extensive) to-do list, and includes emotional labor, informal leadership and battling expectations. |
 | Here is a complete list of what comprises the mental load. Compare notes here: |
 | Did you know that carrying the mental load at work can lower your chances of getting promoted? Here are all of the risks: |
 | With motherhood comes a crushing burden of invisible labor. Simplish co-founder tells all: |
 | You know the feeling that you can’t do anything right? Here’s the social science to explain that tension: |
 | When wearing all of the hats, wears you out - that’s roll conflict. Here’s how to overcome it: |
 | There’s a better way to nourish your relationships than giving endless emotional labor. |
Be well, spread the word, and do good work!
Hsu, Andrea. “Women Are Earning More Money. But They’re Still Picking up a Heavier Load at Home.” NPR, April 13, 2023. https://www.npr.org/2023/04/13/1168961388/pew-earnings-gender-wage-gap-housework-chores-child-care.
Gallup. “Debunking ‘Lazy Girl’ Jobs: What Women Really Want at Work.” Gallup.com, March 22, 2024. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/512888/debunking-lazy-girl-jobs-women-really-work.aspx.