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. Moms desperately want to feel like they are succeeding, but the impractical standards placed on them leave them feeling burnt out and frustrated. Releasing the Mother Load is an experiential guidebook that provides moms 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 labor, 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.
"If you've ever felt like you're the only one struggling with motherhood, this book is for you. Erica Djossa approaches the weight that modem moms feel with compassion, understanding, and a proactive method to breaking out from under it. You're not alone. You're not failing. And you don't have to carry the weight by yourself!"
Eve Rodsky, New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play
"Erica Djossa does an incredible job unveiling hard truths about mental labor in Releasing the Mother Load. Her ability to share impactful research, meaningful stories, and practical tools will leave the reader feeling validated and equipped to take off the backpack that gets handed to us when we become mothers, as she puts it. This book is for the mother who is trying to conceive, the pregnant mo
Ashurina Ream, PsyD, CEO and founder of Psyched Mommy
