{"podcast":{"title":"Mothering Ourselves Mindfully","slug":"mothering-ourselves-mindfully-7036456","podcast_index_feed_id":7036456,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/mothering-ourselves/","website_url":"https://www.theschoolofmom.com","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/6828e479-dd7d-4eee-9483-f29cbf938061/New-Final-3000-x-3000-px.jpg","author":"Sarah Lowell Harmon","episode_count":105,"summary":"Welcome to Mothering Ourselves Mindfully with me, Sarah Harmon. I am the founder, head teacher, and forever student at The School of MOM. I invite you to take a walk with me to hear insights, inspiration, and practical tools to help you navigate the everyday challenges of raising kids while nurturing your own well-being. Whether you’re deep in the trenches of parenting or looking for a moment of calm amidst the chaos, this podcast is your space for reflection, affirmation, and growth. Let's create new intergenerational patterns for ourselves AND our kids together.","last_synced_at":"2026-10-01T10:18:41.772307+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/mothering-ourselves-mindfully-7036456"},"episode":{"title":"87. There's no such thing as mental load","slug":"87-there-s-no-such-thing-as-mental-load","published_at":"2026-04-14T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/mothering-ourselves-mindfully-7036456/87-there-s-no-such-thing-as-mental-load","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/mothering-ourselves-mindfully-7036456","url":"https://www.theschoolofmom.com","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/63e796e2-3d32-4ec3-b321-e5fc1ee3ead0.mp3","summary":"You've heard of the mental load — but what if we've been calling it the wrong thing all along? In this episode, I'm making the case that there's no such thing as just a mental load, and why getting the name right is the first step toward actually getting relief. I go deep into the brain-body load, the MOMsight framework, and why real change doesn't happen by shuffling tasks around — it happens in the body. Key Points Why \"mental load\" is a misnomer — and what the more accurate (and more useful) term actually is How our thoughts, emotions, and nervous system are inextricably linked — and why treating the load as purely cognitive leaves us without the right tools The difference between emotions and feelings — and why understanding this distinction is foundational to being a human who can flourish Why 90–95% of our experience (including the choices we make under load) is unconscious — and what that means for real change How the same event (a child's fever, a doctor's appointment) lands completely differently depending on what's happening in your nervous system Why conversations about mental load often spiral into frustration, blame, and resentment — and what to do with that instead The MOMsight framework: a map of the play between your nervous system, body, emotions, feelings, thoughts, and lived experience Why offloading the brain body load isn't just about task redistribution — it's about shifting what's happening at a root level in your body Resources and research Sarah loves: Brené Brown's emotion research, Mark Brackett's Permission to Feel, and the Mood Meter/How We Feel app An invitation: Sarah has a one-on-one coaching spot open (May through year-end) for a mom ready to do this root cause work Quotes \"Mental load suggests it's just thoughts in our head — and it's…","meta_description":"You've heard of the mental load — but what if we've been calling it the wrong thing all along? In this episode, I'm making the case that there's no such t…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1230,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/mothering-ourselves-mindfully-7036456/episodes/87-there-s-no-such-thing-as-mental-load/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/mothering-ourselves-mindfully-7036456/87-there-s-no-such-thing-as-mental-load.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}