Parenting and mental load
A text by Pénéloppe Gironne
What are we eating for supper? The kids are going to run out of stockings, I have to buy some. We're going to run out of Tylenol soon, I'll have to buy some. Oh yes, I have paperwork to fill out for daycare. I should go grocery shopping. I would like to take more time with my children. I need to start thinking about Christmas gifts (for children, family, educators). Phew, do you ever feel overwhelmed and don't know where to turn?
Sometimes I want to enjoy the present moment, but my mental load gets in the way and gives me an exhaustive list of everything I need to do. It's breathless and exhausting, isn't it?
It's impossible to eliminate this mental burden, but we can find tips to help us put less of it on our shoulders.
Plan and prioritize
Although the tasks we add to our list are generally quite unexpected, reserving time in your schedule for this makes everything less stressful and more structured .
When you think of tasks to accomplish, take the time to write them down in a specific place (notepad, phone, calendar). Take the time to choose one or more per day according to your energy and motivation , obviously prioritizing what is most urgent and most important .
Celebrate our achievements
Stop beating yourself on the head for what you didn't do. Let me tell you that our mental workload rarely stops and the to-do list keeps growing… Highlight what you have checked off your list instead of focusing on what you need. remains to be done.
Celebrate your big and small accomplishments!
Believe me, you do a lot!
To delegate
As you know, “it takes a village to raise children,” so why not ask that village to help you accomplish some tasks .
Delegate tasks to your partner, your family, or specialists. Yes, it can lead to additional costs, but it can also allow you to concentrate on other things , to enjoy beautiful moments with family or to take time for yourself.
Let's face it, parenthood tends to add to our mental load, so let's take the time to plan, prioritize, delegate and celebrate our accomplishments to take a little weight off our shoulders. The mental load will probably never leave us, so let's structure it so that it serves us instead of increasing our stress.
It’s important to take care of yourself, let’s not forget ourselves in all this hubbub!
And you, do you have any tips to reduce your mental load or to cope better with it?
Pénéloppe is a mother of 3 children and editor-reviser 
