Women can't multitask. We're just asked to do more work. Professor Leah Ruppanner is a sociologist, researcher, and author of Drained, a book that puts data behind what so many women have been told is anxiety, overthinking, or bad boundaries. She's one of the world's leading voices on the mental load, and in this conversation, we get into what it actually is, why it's so heavy, and what it's costing women, families, and the world. This isn't about to do lists or housework. It's about why women are exhausted, what that costs, and how we can stop disappearing into the load. In this episode, we talk about: – why the mental load is emotional thinking work, not just a to do list – the eight different types of mental load and how they drain you – why your mental load is finite (and how to spend it strategically) – the myth of multitasking and why women aren't better at it – the John and Jane study: why women are judged more harshly for mess – how women's dreams and health get starved first – why men see investing in themselves as investing in the family (and women don't) – the $100 experiment: what women spent it on when they finally chose themselves – guilt as a wasted emotion (and why Swedish mothers don't feel it) – why going back to "the old ways" isn't the answer – the motherhood penalty and what stepping out of work really costs – what drained women are costing the world – why the world would look different if women were in power – how to start reclaiming your mental load energy tonight – what we owe our daughters This conversation is honest, grounding, and backed by research. For anyone navigating motherhood, ambition, exhaustion, or just trying to understand why it all feels so heavy, this one will stay with you. Find Professor Leah Ruppanner on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Facebook. Visit lightenlab.com to take a free mental load assessment. Get her book Drained on Amazon or listen to the audiobook wherever you get your books. https://www.instagram.com/prof.leahruppanner/ Website - https://www.lightenlab.com/ Book Drained - Amazon & Book shops  Join the waitlist for The Load System at motherloading.net Follow us on: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/motherloading_x?igsh=d3JkM3lseDNhNnM1 TikTok @motherloading_pod Produced by TAEPodcast www.taepodcast.co.uk

We talk a lot on Motherloading about the invisible load. This episode gets into what it's actually doing to your body. We are exhausted. Not just tired... depleted. And most of us have been running on caffeine, cortisol and sheer willpower for so long we've forgotten what it feels like not to be. Rhian Stephenson is the founder and CEO of ARTAH, one of the UK's most respected nutrition and supplement brands, but more importantly for this conversation, she's a registered nutritionist, naturopath, ex-athlete, mum of two, and a woman who openly admits she still hit burnout despite knowing everything she knows. She built a business while pregnant with her second baby, went straight back to work five days after having her, and one day woke up with nothing left. We talked about all of it. The slow drain of burnout and why it never announces itself. The nervous system that never switches off. What years of broken sleep, the mental load, postpartum and perimenopause actually do to your body and why so many of us are living through all of them at the same time without anyone naming it. The pressure to keep functioning no matter what. The hospital fantasy. World Book Day. And what it actually looks like to start rebuilding from a place of support rather than shame. We cover: — Burnout as a slow drain, not a dramatic crash — What modern motherhood is doing to the female nervous system — Postpartum colliding with perimenopause and why the symptoms are identical — Why only 4% of women are meeting exercise guidelines correctly and how you can fix it — The non-judgment food audit and why we're tricking ourselves — Creatine, vitamin D, electrolytes and fibre, what's actually worth taking and why — Pausing vs giving up, the reframe that changes everything — Why you can't out-supplement a bad diet and where supplements genuinely fill the gap — Learning your body again in your 30s and 40s — The lie we're done with: you can do it all This episode is in proud partnership with ARTAH, a brand I reached out to personally because I use their supplements and I believe in what they make. No noise, no quick fixes, just science-backed nutrition that actually works. ARTAH are giving Motherloading listeners 20% off. Use code MOTHERLOAD at www.artah.co LINKS Shop ARTAH: www.artah.co ARTAH on Instagram: www.instagram.com/artahhealth ARTAH on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@artahhealth ARTAH on Facebook: www.facebook.com/artahhealth Rhian Stephenson on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rhianstephenson Rhian Stephenson on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rhian-stephenson-nd-003a9a22 About Rhian: www.artah.co/pages/our-founder FIND MOTHERLOADING Instagram: @motherloadingpodcast Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube www.motherloading.net

Life's problems aren't separate. They're outcomes of patterns we've been carrying for years. Kelly Armitage is a therapist, TED speaker, author of Ask a Serenity Kit, and creator of a framework that's helped thousands shift emotional patterns quickly. With over 15,000 therapy sessions behind her and a platform that's reached 100 million views, she's built something that actually works — not just for talking, but for changing. In this episode, we talk about: – why traditional therapy often doesn't work (and what does) – the mother and father wound (and how to identify yours in 30 seconds) – why healing is the purpose, not achievement – over functioning, over giving, and the burnout that follows – the subconscious payoff keeping you stuck in unhelpful patterns – victim mindset versus warrior mindset (and why both are valid) – how to stop trying to change your partner and start setting boundaries – why passive, passive aggressive, and aggressive communication keeps you powerless – learning assertiveness, expressing needs, and vulnerable communication – why you can't love anyone else until you love yourself – the nine step Ask technique that shifts emotions and rewires thoughts – a live session where Nicky works through emotional distance, loneliness, and guilt in her relationship This conversation is honest, grounding, and deeply practical. For anyone navigating motherhood, relationships, burnout, or just trying to understand why the same patterns keep showing up, this one will stay with you. https://www.instagram.com/kellyarmatage/ https://www.tiktok.com/@kellyarmatagetherapist https://www.youtube.com/@kellyarmatage https://linktr.ee/kellyarmatage Join the waitlist for The Load System at motherloading.net Follow us on: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/motherloading_x?igsh=d3JkM3lseDNhNnM1 TikTok @motherloading_pod Produced by TAEPodcast www.taepodcast.co.uk

Steven Bartlett hired Amy Golding six months pregnant. She accepted. Amy has built and sold a £100M company, founded a tech training business that’s changing who gets into the industry, and is now CEO of Steven Bartlett’s private office. She is also one of the most honest voices on the internet about what all of that actually costs. In this episode we talk about the myth we were all sold about having it all. The apology she went back and made to women she managed before she had kids. Something she’d never shared before — what she was carrying privately through one of the most important weeks of her career. Why work-life balance is a phrase she hates. And why the world has to make space for you, not the other way around. Funny, sharp, and more honest than most people dare to be. This is Motherloading. Follow Amy on Instagram and LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-golding-0a600623?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios https://www.instagram.com/itsamygolding?igsh=MTQ4aXEwNDRuamF4eg== www.steven.com Join the waitlist for The Load System at motherloading.net Follow us on: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/motherloading_x?igsh=d3JkM3lseDNhNnM1 TikTok @motherloading_pod Produced by TAEPodcast www.taepodcast.co.uk

Every child just wants to make their mum and dad proud. Josh is the founder of Fit For All, a football coach with over 500,000 followers, and someone who's spent years working with kids navigating confidence, comparison, and the pressure to be perfect. He's also one of the most grounded voices on what children actually need to hear in a world full of noise, screens, and unrealistic expectations. In this episode, we talk about: – why comparison is killing kids' confidence (and the bird analogy that changes everything) – how social media is making children feel like they're never enough – why nerves are just excitement you haven't learned to trust yet – teaching kids that their best is their best (and it doesn't need to match anyone else's) – the power of compliments, even when they feel cringy – why you can't be your strongest until you admit weakness – celebrating looking silly as part of the process – stop saying sorry for things you're not sorry for – passing responsibility, making excuses, and over explaining yourself – why girls are often easier to coach (and what that tells us) – the invisible pressure kids carry to make their parents proud – screen time, parenting effort, and the sacrifice that's needed – how confidence is bred from parents, not found on a pitch – why he's raising £1 million for Young Lives vs Cancer This conversation is honest, grounding, and full of lessons that apply far beyond the football pitch. For anyone raising kids, coaching them, or just trying to understand what they're quietly carrying, this one will stay with you. Follow Josh at @fit_4_football on Instagram and TikTok, and Fit For Football World on YouTube Join the waitlist for The Load System at motherloading.net Follow us on: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/motherloading_x?igsh=d3JkM3lseDNhNnM1 TikTok - @motherloading_pod Produced by TAEPodcast - www.taepodcast.co.uk

She didn't know she was ADHD until the psychologist assessing her son turned to her and said, "So you've obviously been diagnosed." Hester Grainger is a former TV and BBC Radio presenter, certified ADHD coach, and co-founder of Perfectly Autistic. She's also a mum to two neurodivergent teens, married to a neurodivergent partner, and didn't realise she was ADHD herself until her 40s. In this episode, we talk about: – the moment she was diagnosed (and why no one was surprised) – raising two autistic ADHD children without knowing she was neurodivergent herself – masking, performing, and the burnout that comes when you stop – why perimenopause can be the moment the wheels fall off – locking herself in the toilet just to breathe – navigating meltdowns, sensory overload, and big emotions as a family – the guilt of looking back and realising what you didn't know – why her 16 year old was told "you don't look autistic" – how she and her husband built a strong partnership through chaos – setting boundaries, choosing your battles, and raising kind humans – the invisible load of parenting neurodivergent kids – what workplaces actually get wrong (and what they can do better) – why so many women are blowing up their lives in their 40s This conversation is honest, grounding, and full of insight. For anyone navigating neurodiversity, motherhood, identity, or just trying to work out what the hell is going on underneath the surface, this one will stay with you. Join the waitlist for The Load System at - motherloading.net Follow Hester at @hestersvibe on Instagram and visit perfectlyautistic.co.uk for resources and support Follow us on: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/motherloading_x?igsh=d3JkM3lseDNhNnM1 TikTok - @motherloading_pod Produced by TAEPodcast - www.taepodcast.co.uk

She walked away from £24 million. Two weeks before giving birth. Sedge Beswick is a founder, former CEO, and one of the most honest voices on what it actually costs to build a business, become a mother, and decide what matters most when the two collide. In this episode, we talk about: – why she turned down a multimillion pound deal days before her due date – the invisible pressure to work like you don't have kids and parent like you don't have a career – responding to Slack messages in the labour ward – sobbing uncontrollably on her first day back in the office – stepping away from the business she founded to reclaim time with her daughters – why confidence is sold to women as something we lack, not something we already have – how ambition doesn't die in the delivery room but identity, time, and clarity all shift – being told she "ruined it for women" because she chose motherhood over an exit – the millennial career crisis and why quitting isn't failure – financial freedom, shared parenting, and setting boundaries that actually work This conversation is raw, grounding, and unapologetically real. For anyone navigating ambition, motherhood, identity, or the messy middle of all three, this one will stay with you. Follow Sedge at @sedgebeswick on Instagram and LinkedIn Follow us on: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/motherloading_x?igsh=d3JkM3lseDNhNnM1 TikTok - @motherloading_pod Produced by TAEPodcast - www.taepodcast.co.uk

If you've ever handed your partner a list and felt quietly furious that you had to write it in the first place — this one's for you. Alex Trippier is a couples coach, host of the Be a Happier Parent podcast, and a dad who spent years studying why parenthood quietly dismantles relationships from the inside out. In this episode we get into cognitive labour and why your brain genuinely cannot switch off, the bumbler versus superhero parent dynamic, weaponised incompetence, and his concept of relationship prehab — the conversations you need to have before the resentment fully beds in. Honest, research-backed, and the episode you'll be sending to your partner by the end. Find Alex at @alextrippier on Instagram and his podcast Be a Happier Parent wherever you listen. Follow us on: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/motherloading_x?igsh=d3JkM3lseDNhNnM1 TikTok - @motherloading_pod Produced by TAEPodcast - www.taepodcast.co.uk

You can look like you’ve got it together… and still feel like you’re quietly unravelling. You’re showing up. You’re doing everything. You’re functioning. But underneath? It feels heavy. Overwhelming. Like you’re just about holding it all together. In this episode, I’m joined by psychologist Dr Tuesday Watts to unpack what’s actually going on beneath the surface. We talk about: – why so many women feel overwhelmed (even when life “looks fine”) – the mental and emotional load no one sees – why high-functioning women often feel the worst internally – how shame quietly sits underneath it all – and why this isn’t about coping better… but understanding what you’re carrying This isn’t surface-level advice. It’s language for something a lot of women are feeling… but can’t quite explain. If you’ve ever thought: “Why does this feel so hard when I should be fine?” This one’s for you. 🎧 Listen now Follow us on: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/motherloading_x?igsh=d3JkM3lseDNhNnM1 TikTok - @motherloading_pod Produced by TAEPodcast - www.taepodcast.co.uk

Motherhood, identity, exhaustion, intimacy-and the body that no longer feels familiar. This episode of Motherloading explores postpartum body grief-the side of motherhood that often goes unspoken. After the baby arrives and the outside world moves on, many women are left navigating a body that feels different, a mind under pressure, and an identity that is shifting in unexpected ways. Topics covered include: Postpartum body image and identity loss The disconnect between mental strength and physical recovery Hormonal changes, brain fog, and emotional overwhelm Sex, intimacy, and relationships after children The invisible mental and emotional load of motherhood Why “I’m fine” often hides a deeper struggle This is an honest look at matrescence-the transition into motherhood-and the physical, emotional, and psychological changes that come with it. For anyone who has looked in the mirror and felt like a stranger, this conversation offers reassurance: this experience is more common than it seems. Follow us on: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/motherloading_x?igsh=d3JkM3lseDNhNnM1 TikTok - @motherloading_pod Produced by TAEPodcast - www.taepodcast.co.uk