It’s truly a wonderful moment to have two organizations come together and give a little more peace to the world. In case you missed it, here’s a recap from the Starbucks NorCal Disability Advocacy Network X My Good Brain collaboration event!

What is Mental Load?

During our event, mental load was brought up to be a core feature in many people’s day-to-day lives.

The mental load can be defined as the combination of the cognitive and emotional labor of family life.

More specifically, the mental load can be described through 3 distinct characteristics: Invisible, without boundaries, and enduring.

Meaning that the mental load on a person is oftentimes unseen, crossing into many areas of life, and persisting for an extended period of time.

The Impact of Mental Load on Caregivers

At the event, the mental load placed particularly upon caregivers was highlighted.

Prior research suggests that mothers are experiencing even greater levels of bedtime stress today related to their roles as mothers and workers than before.

And, as something many of us have experienced firsthand, elevated stress before bedtime can lead to worsening sleep quality

This is especially true for caregivers who take care of children with special needs. These caretakers experience higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression compared to parents of neurotypical children

Many elevated risk factors stemming from increasing mental load include mental health issues, physical health decline, economic/employment impact, social isolation, and worsening family dynamics

Ways to Cope with Mental Load

Afterward, we started talking about the many ways we can cope with our mental load.

Thankfully, there are many ways to cope with increasing mental load including prioritization & delegation, building a support system, mindfulness and stress-reduction techniques, professional help, and especially self-care strategies.

This is another reason why art is so wonderful: it’s good for you!

Art helps relieve stress, improve emotional well-being, and improve your coping skills!

Art Activity

Everyone then participated in an art activity that allowed us to tap into the healing processes of art. Feel free to join us!

Materials:

Colored Markers
Colored Pens
Glue stick
White cardstock (1 sheet)
Construction paper (3 assorted colors)
Scissors
*Optional:
- Old newspapers/magazines
- Stickers
- Feathers
- Buttons
- Scrapbooking materials
- Other found objects