Releasing the Mother Load
How to Carry Less and Enjoy Motherhood More.
A guide to reshaping the internalized expectations and beliefs around motherhood: what the mother load is, where the expectations come from, how to make the load visible, and how to share it through boundaries and support.
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Praise for Releasing the Mother Load
“If you’ve ever felt like you’re the only one struggling with motherhood, this book is for you. Erica Djossa approaches the weight that modern moms feel with compassion, understanding, and a proactive method to breaking out from under it. You’re not alone. You’re not failing. And you don’t have to carry the weight by yourself!”
“Releasing the Mother Load highlights the way that parenting, and specifically mothering, has changed in recent decades and, even more drastically, since the pandemic. Erica Djossa shines the light on the invisible load and how big of an impact it has on maternal mental health. She also provides practical strategies for how to release that load and protect our self-esteem and well-being.”
“Erica Djossa offers a refreshing and much-needed take in Releasing the Mother Load, helping women and mothers understand the deep cultural origins of their burnout, how change starts inside, and what actionable steps they can take to nurture, not lose, themselves in motherhood.”
“So much of motherhood self-help relies on check lists of self-care items that end up just being one more thing we as mothers feel guilty for not getting to. With Releasing the Mother Load, Erica Djossa does a masterful job at making mothers from all walks of life feel seen and paints a practical path forward that is compassionate and reachable. I recommend it for any mother or mother to be.”
“Motherhood can be exhausting and overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be that way. Releasing the Mother Load is a practical tool that helps moms identify why they’re struggling and let go of the things that hold them back.”
“Erica Djossa does an incredible job unveiling hard truths about mental labor in Releasing the Mother Load. Her ability to share impactful research, meaningful stories, and practical tools will leave the reader feeling validated and equipped to take off the backpack that gets handed to us when we become mothers, as she puts it. This book is for the mother who is trying to conceive, the pregnant mom, the first-time mom, veteran mom, or anyone impacted by the mental tasks fighting for space where there is no more to spare.”
“Erica Djossa’s new book is a thoughtful and straightforward guide to helping moms everywhere find their inner GPS—because Releasing the Mother Load is as much about letting go of unrealistic external expectations as it is about learning who you are and where your values come from.”
Companion tools for Releasing the Mother Load
Discover your values! Use this exercise to uncover the guiding principles you can use to determine what to let go of and what matters most to you.
DownloadThe first step to letting go of labor is making it visible. Our load maps unpack the mental load of common household tasks, so you can determine what to release and redistribute.
DownloadA book club study guide to help you discuss, reflect, and start the work of Releasing the Mother Load.
DownloadThis companion guide to Releasing the Mother Load helps you apply the lessons, reflect on the beliefs you are carrying, and create practical steps toward change in your home.
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