The Hidden Mental Load Women Carry
Even when we’re not physically “doing” something, we’re thinking. Planning. Worrying. Keeping tabs on everyone’s needs. This invisible weight, what we often call the mental load, is something women around the world carry every single day.
It’s the kind of fatigue that doesn’t always show up in bloodwork or scans, but it impacts our health deeply. It’s not just burnout. It’s being the family calendar, the emotional filter, the default fixer, the one who remembers the birthday card for your aunt, the pediatrician’s number, and the mood of your partner after a hard day.
Researchers have started to take this seriously. A 2021 review published in Women found that women today are under constant psychosocial strain due to the collision of social expectations, financial pressures, work-life balance demands, and cultural ideals about beauty, behavior, and caregiving (Mathis, 2021). This pressure has only intensified with shifting gender roles, the impacts of the pandemic, and the rise of economic instability.
The result? A unique kind of exhaustion; one that’s chronic, quiet, and often invalidated.
Women are expected to hold everything together, often without help, while smiling through it. This expectation leads to higher rates of anxiety, depression, autoimmune issues, insomnia, and pain-related conditions. And yet, many of us feel like we’re somehow failing if we can’t juggle it all.
Here’s the truth: you’re not failing. You’re carrying too much.
You were never meant to do all of this without support. And healing doesn’t come from just pushing through. It comes from:
Naming what’s unseen. Giving language to the mental load helps lift the shame and validate your experience.
Getting real support. Therapy, medication, community, and rest are not luxuries. They’re lifelines.
Redefining worth. You are more than your productivity. Your value doesn’t come from how well you perform exhaustion.
At Floriss Rx, we see you. We believe you. And we want to help you carry less. Let this be your reminder that exhaustion does not mean failure. It means you’ve been doing the work of many. You deserve support. You deserve space to breathe.
Check out our free mental health resources and grounding guides at florissrx.com
Sources
Mathis, B. J. (2021). The Intricate Web of Fatigue in Women. Women, 1(4), 267–279. https://doi.org/10.3390/women1040023
