Women carry 71% of a household’s ‘mental load,’ report says

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Women carry 71% of a household’s ‘mental load’ and it can limit their participation in the workforce, new research finds.

From choosing gifts and sending cards to planning Christmas dinner, the holiday season can feel like an avalanche of mental to-do lists.

New research from the University of Bath and the University of Melbourne, published in the Journal of Marriage & Family, reveals that mothers overwhelmingly carry this “mental load” while dads often take a back seat.

And it’s not just during Christmas – this imbalance happens every day of the year.

The New research shows that mothers take on 71% of household mental load tasks, including planning, scheduling, and organizing, while fathers manage just 45%.

This imbalance often leads to stress, burnout, and strain on women’s careers and relationships. The “mental load,” also known as “cognitive household labour” refers to the thinking work needed to keep family life running smoothly.

The research team analyzed data from 3,000 US parents, examining the share of common mental load tasks they typically manage in their household.