MothHERload: The Morning That Reminded Me to Put Myself Back on My List

Some mornings feel like I’ve lived a whole day before 9 AM. Not because of big deadlines, but because of the MothHERload.

If you’re a working mom, you know exactly what I mean. It’s the invisible workload we carry on top of our jobs:

Remembering the weather forecast for drop-off.

Knowing exactly where the favorite water bottle is hiding.

Mentally keeping track of every little thing, while still responding to work messages.

Last week was the perfect example.

**By 9:15 AM, my Teams status was green… but my brain was already in the red. **

6:30 AM: Negotiated with my 3-year-old about why a sundress wasn’t the best choice when rain was in the forecast. 7:00 AM: Made breakfast, packed her bag, and found her favorite unicorn water bottle (inside the toy bin, of course). 8:15 AM: Drop-off in the middle of a drizzle, then straight into back-to-back Teams meetings. 9:10 AM: Ping from a colleague: “Got a sec?” while I’m still mentally replaying whether I packed her rain boots. 9:15 AM: Two cups of coffee down… and no actual breakfast.

That’s the MothHERload, Not just doing the things, but juggling the mental tabs that never close: Work priorities Mom duties Household logistics

The Cost of Carrying It All

The MothHERload doesn’t just eat up time. It eats up presence. And I’ve realized my daughter deserves my presence more than my perfection.

But the truth is, lightening the MothHERload isn’t about one grand gesture. It’s about small, intentional shifts that protect my energy and my peace.

This Week’s 3 Small Shifts

1️⃣ No opening Teams until I’m back from drop-off: work will wait, my morning with her won’t. 2️⃣ Blocking 20 minutes mid-morning to eat and reset: because my brain works better when my body is fueled. 3️⃣ Letting some things wait: not everything is urgent, no matter how loud it feels in the moment.

The Takeaway

We don’t earn extra points for burning out. We don’t get more love for running on empty. And we certainly don’t have to do it all to be amazing mothers.

The MothHERload is real, but it’s not ours to carry alone.

Your Turn: What’s one small, specific shift you can make this week to lighten your own load? Share it in the comments, I’d love to cheer you on.

Want more? This week’s MothHERload Monday is part of my new 3-day blog series alongside LeadHERship Wednesday and WealthiHER Friday, three weekly posts to help women step into their power at home, at work, and in their finances.