From a maternal mental health specialist, an empowering guide to easing cognitive labor and unlearning intensive mothering expectation

Mothers today are tired, overworked, and overwhelmed. Mums desperately want to feel like they are succeeding, but the impractical standards placed on them leave them feeling burned out and frustrated. Releasing the Mother Load is an experiential guidebook that provides mums the support they need, free from judgment, fear, and shame. Based on the teachings in her Momwell community, Erica Djossa unpacks the dimensions of cognitive labour - the invisible care work that exists within tasks like soothing babies, navigating tantrums, keeping track of where everything is in the house, and planning for appointments. She invites us to break free from societal conditioning that demands we do it all, and step into a new way of thinking that relieves the weight of unrealistic motherhood expectations and allows us to say no, take on less, and enjoy life more. “In our search for perfection, we hold ourselves up to impossible standards,” says Djossa. “And when we inevitably fall short of those, we feel like failures. The key is in letting go of what we think we should be and embracing our value as a mom.” It is here that we embark on a journey not toward perfection but toward mental wellness.