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The Mental Load of Motherhood: How It’s Impacting Your Hormones (and What to Do About It)

April 29, 2025 /

Motherhood is beautiful, but let’s be real—it’s also a lot.
If you’re feeling tired, overwhelmed, stretched thin, or like your brain is juggling 50,000 tabs at once… you’re not imagining it.

The mental load of motherhood is real—and it’s doing more than just making you tired. It’s affecting your hormones, your minerals, and your long-term health.

Let’s dive into how, and more importantly, what you can start doing today to protect your energy, balance your hormones, and show up as the mom (and woman) you want to be.

What Is the Mental Load of Motherhood?

The mental load includes all the invisible tasks you manage daily:

  • Homework, permission slips, and school projects
  • Dentist appointments, eye exams, doctor checkups
  • Grocery lists, meal planning, laundry, and cleaning
  • Coordinating pickups, drop-offs, practices, and games
  • Remembering who needs what, by when, and how it’s all going to happen

Even if you have a supportive partner (or a whole village), most moms still end up carrying the bulk of the planning, worrying, and organizing.

And here’s the kicker:
Even if you love the chaos, even if you feel like you’re managing it well, your body still pays a price.
Mental energy is still energy—and every single thought, worry, and plan uses up your mineral stores and impacts your stress hormones.

How the Mental Load Affects Your Hormones

When you’re under constant mental pressure, your body releases cortisol, the stress hormone.
A little cortisol is good—it keeps us alive and functioning.
But chronic, elevated cortisol? That’s where the problems start.

Here’s what happens over time:

  • Mineral Depletion: Your body burns through magnesium, sodium, and potassium faster.
  • Hormone Imbalance: Cortisol crowds out your other hormones, causing progesterone to drop (leading to mood swings, irregular cycles, and fertility struggles).
  • Blood Sugar Instability: You crave sugar, carbs, and caffeine to “keep going.”
  • Sleep Issues: You either can’t fall asleep or can’t stay asleep deeply.
  • Mood Changes: Anxiety, irritability, and brain fog creep in—and stay.
  • Burnout: Your body eventually hits full-blown exhaustion, even if you’re “doing all the right things.”

The mental load of motherhood isn’t just an emotional challenge. It’s a physiological stressor that can wreak havoc if you don’t actively support your body through it.

Signs the Mental Load Might Be Impacting You

You might be carrying too much if:

  • You can’t fall asleep at night because your mind is racing.
  • You feel resentful, overstimulated, or constantly on edge.
  • You’re always tired—even after a full night’s sleep.
  • You keep getting sick, catching every bug that goes around.
  • You crave sugar, coffee, or comfort foods more than usual.
  • You feel stuck in “functional freeze”—barely getting by but totally drained inside.

Sound familiar? You are not alone—and you are not broken.

Your body is trying to tell you it needs support.

How to Start Lightening the Load (Without Neglecting Your Family)

You may not be able to eliminate stress completely—but you can take steps to lower the burden on your mind and body.

Here’s where to start:

✅ Delegate and Communicate:
Talk to your partner, kids, or support system. Share the load—even if things don’t get done exactly the way you would do them.

✅ Let Go of Perfection:
It doesn’t matter if the laundry isn’t folded your way or if the dishwasher isn’t loaded “right.” Let good enough be good enough.

✅ Eat Enough (Especially Real Food):
Your body needs fuel to handle stress. Prioritize eating real meals with protein, fiber, and mineral-rich foods.
(And no, skipping breakfast to “save calories” is not helping.)

✅ Support Your Minerals Daily:
Mineral drinks are your secret weapon here. Most people can’t meet their mineral needs through food alone, especially under chronic stress.

✅ Brain Dump Before Bed:
Get racing thoughts out of your head and onto paper (or into your notes app) before you try to sleep.

✅ Schedule Actual Brain Breaks:
Give yourself permission to rest, even if it’s just 5-10 minutes at a time.

Want to Take It Deeper?

Functional testing can give you clear answers and a personalized plan.
I recommend:

  • HTMA Testing: To assess your mineral status and stress response.
  • DUTCH Testing: To see exactly what’s happening with your hormones and cortisol patterns.

Testing cuts the guesswork, stops the cycle of random supplements and diets, and gives you a clear path forward based on your body’s needs.

If you’re ready to stop feeling stuck, exhausted, and burned out—testing is the next step.

You can explore my offers [linked here] or send me a DM on Instagram if you’re not sure which one fits you best.

Don’t Forget Your Free Resources!

🎧 New! [Hormones 101 Secret Podcast] – Eight quick episodes to get you started with mineral and hormone health.

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