It’s okay to not be okay: Self-care vs. that never ending, ever expanding TO DO list

Being a parent is A LOT of work and often very stressful. But there’s stress and then there’s STRESS, and a parent’s relationship to that stress can occasionally  dip into unhealthy territory. But if that happens, there are ways to get back into balance and find a healthy way to cope.

In today’s episode we talk with Meredith Ethington, author of “The Motherload: Surviving the daily grind without losing your ever-loving mind.”

We start by debunking the idea that men and women are “wired” differently, and focus instead on how the pressure to conform to societal norms about men and women contribute to the fact that mothers typically bear the majority of the mental, physical and emotional load in families. We offer suggestions as to how mothers can learn to share that load so they don't feel so overwhelmed all of the time.

Finally, we talk about how it’s okay to not be okay. The mental load placed on mothers can sometimes lead to mental health issues and it’s important to talk about this. Destigmatizing mental health issues is critical and parents of all genders (partnered or not) do not need to feel shame about needing help. (And don't necessarily have to spend money to get that help.)