You've packed the bags, answered the emails, remembered the party invitation and booked the dentist. So why do you still feel so on edge? Because it's not only what you do. It's what you carry in your head. Researchers call it "cognitive labour": spotting what needs doing, planning it, deciding and keeping track. And studies suggest mums often end up doing most of the spotting and tracking, the bits that happen before anyone else has noticed there's a job at all. It takes a toll too. One study of 322 mums of young children linked this mental load with stress, low mood and burnout. So if your mind never quite clocks off, you're not weak or "bad at coping". You're carrying a heavy load nobody can see. The good news is it can be lightened. With CBT and coaching, we gently look at the thoughts that say "I must remember everything, or it'll all fall apart." Then we swap them for kinder, more realistic ones, and build small habits like sharing the planning and setting limits, so your mind can finally rest and you can feel like you again. If this sounds familiar, let's chat. Book a free, no-pressure, no-obligation 15-minute clarity call and see if it feels right for you. Sources Daminger, A. (2019). The Cognitive Dimension of Household Labor. American Sociological Review, 84(4), 609–633. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122419859007 Study of 322 mothers of young children on cognitive household labour and mental health (2024). Springer. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00737-024-01490-w
