As most of you know, I’ve been talking about the mental load in this column over the past two months and how it creeps into almost every area of our lives.
Today, I’ll talk about the reason so many of us deal with this often-overwhelming load. It can be summed up in one simple word: MORE.
More square feet in our homes, more vehicles, more than one job supporting a family. More kids’ activities, more pets, and more invisible responsibilities at work and increased hours spent on the job.
More elaborate holidays and celebrations. More complicated vacations and hobbies. More caregiving responsibilities, especially as we get older, and more ways to help our community.
After reading this series, I’m sure many of you are ready to scream, chuck it all, and move to the wilderness – maybe somewhere like Elk Droppings, Montana. Sorry, but there is no such town called Elk Droppings, Montana. Apparently, there is a product called Montana Elk Droppings, which are chocolate covered almonds. But let’s get back to our subject.
I didn’t start this series to bring you down, but rather to help you see the extent of the problem and its origins. I promise you there is hope and we can make some big changes. We obviously can’t and shouldn’t get rid of all our responsibilities. But some of them are optional, and we’ll explore how to gradually (or suddenly) let go of these things in our lives without our world collapsing.
In fact, by decreasing or getting rid of some of these responsibilities, we’ll be more productive and energetic for the things that truly matter in life.
We’ll talk about the many ways we can lighten our mental loads by 50 to 75 percent in each of the areas I’ve mentioned this summer. We’ll explore various techniques that have worked for others as well as some fabulous free or low-cost technology.
I’m cautiously optimistic in my hopes that in 10 to 20 years, all the depressing information I shared earlier will be ancient history. It’s my dream that we look back on it and sigh with relief knowing we’ve made the right changes and won’t repeat those mistakes. I believe lightening this mental load will make us a happier, healthier, more productive society.
Where will we begin next week? As the saying goes, “It all starts at home.”
A special “Thank you!” goes out to Leah Johnson, who wrote a wonderful note to me in the mail about my high school reunion column. Thank you, Leah, for your kind words and for sharing your experiences. I hope you meet you someday!
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Amy Shankland is a writer and fundraising professional living in Noblesville with her husband John, two sons, two dogs and a cat. You can reach her via email at amys@greenavenue.info.