54: The Mental Load of Motherhood & Its Hidden Impact on Your Hormones

Motherhood is beautiful—but the mental load moms carry every single day? It’s heavy.

 In this powerful episode, we break down what the mental load of motherhood really looks like (hint: it’s way more than just busy schedules and grocery lists). I’m sharing how constant low-grade stress—from appointments to permission slips to meal planning—is quietly draining your minerals, throwing off your hormones, and setting the stage for burnout.

 We’ll dive into:

• How the invisible mental workload leads to hormone imbalance
• Why chronic stress depletes your key minerals (magnesium, sodium, potassium)
• The connection between mental overload, cortisol, progesterone, and anxiety
• Practical steps to reduce your stress, protect your hormones, and finally feel better
   If you’re ready to understand why you're exhausted even when you're doing everything right—and how to start fixing it—this episode is for you.
  PLUS: I’m sharing how you can access my new Hormones 101 Secret Podcast for free, and how to apply for functional testing if you're ready to dig even deeper.

🎧 Tune in now and grab the links in the show notes!

Download my FREE Hormones 101 Secret Podcast
Click here to learn how we can work together!
Follow me on IG @wellness.with.vanda

Download my FREE Minerals for Mamas Guide

Transcript

Hey, hey! Welcome back to the podcast.
 Today, we’re diving into a topic I think pretty much everyone who listens here can relate to—the mental load of motherhood. We're going to unpack how this constant mindset overload affects your hormones and your minerals... and, of course, what you can start doing about it.

But first, let’s start by just bringing some awareness to what this mental load really looks like. Because while we all kind of know it's there, we don't always recognize just how much it's impacting us as individuals.

[What Is the Mental Load of Motherhood?]
The mental load is basically the 50,000 things that, just because you’re the mom, you end up thinking about, planning, and worrying over.
And before we go further—I just want to say, this episode is not a bash on dads, husbands, partners, or whoever you share your life with. My husband is incredibly supportive and helps me so much, and I know many of you feel the same.
Still, there’s a unique mental burden that often falls on moms, even when we have help.

Some examples?

• Did the kids do their homework?
• Did I sign their agenda?
• Is there a permission slip or a school project due this week?
• Who’s taking the kids to the dentist, to the eye doctor?
• Does everyone have clean clothes for tomorrow?
• What’s for dinner tonight? Are we out of their favorite snack?
• How are we getting two kids to two different ball games at the same time?

It’s like home management is constantly running in the background of your brain. And honestly, sometimes you have these moments where you're like, “Why is all of this my responsibility?”

[Why This Mental Load Matters]
This stuff doesn’t just cause physical busyness—it’s mental busyness.
Even if you don't feel stressed, your brain is burning through energy and minerals managing all of these logistics.

And here's the kicker: even if you thrive on chaos (hello, fellow chaos lovers), even if it doesn’t feel stressful in the traditional sense, it still takes a toll.
Your body is spending resources managing all those thoughts—and that drains your minerals, affects your stress response, and can absolutely set you up for hormone imbalance.

[The Mental Load & Hormones: How They're Connected]
Here's what happens:

• Chronic mental load → Elevated cortisol (your body’s main stress hormone).
• Elevated cortisol → Mineral depletion (especially magnesium, potassium, and sodium).
• Depleted minerals + high cortisol → Hormonal chaos.
  • Progesterone drops → Mood swings, anxiety, irregular periods, trouble sleeping.
  • Blood sugar gets unstable → Cravings, fatigue, brain fog.
  • Chronic stress → Eventually leads to full-on burnout.

This is why so many moms start feeling completely tapped out—mentally, emotionally, physically—without even realizing how it snuck up on them.

[Burnout and the Functional Freeze State]
And it's not just feeling tired.
When burnout sets in, you might notice you’re constantly sick, constantly drained, stuck in "functional freeze"—where you're doing the bare minimum but emotionally and mentally, you're checked out.
You’re getting the laundry done, showing up to work, checking the boxes... but anytime you have a free moment, you don’t even want to do anything except zone out with TV or your phone.

That’s a nervous system that's been under pressure for way too long.

[What You Can Do Starting Today]
First, take an honest look at what you’re carrying.
Ask yourself:

• What could I delegate to someone else?
• What am I trying to control because I think it has to be done "my way"?
• Is there anything I can just let go of completely?

Sometimes our partners, kids, or even other family members would help more—if we’d just ask. But we have to be willing to give up a little control in how things get done, too. (Yes, even if they load the dishwasher wrong.)

Other things you can start right now:
✅ Eat enough food—no more skipping meals or surviving on coffee.
✅ Incorporate mineral-rich foods and drinks.
✅ Schedule real breaks where your mind gets to rest.
✅ Write down your racing thoughts at night so you can actually sleep.

And if you're ready to go deeper?

[Getting Deeper Answers Through Testing]
Functional testing can change everything.
Specifically:

• HTMA testing → tells us your mineral status and how your body is handling stress.
• DUTCH testing → shows your full hormone picture, including cortisol patterns.

When you have real data about what's going on inside your body, you can stop throwing spaghetti at the wall hoping something sticks—and finally start doing the things that actually move the needle.

Testing helps you break the cycle of exhaustion, burnout, and hormone chaos—and create a plan that's tailored to you.

[Wrap Up + Free Resource]
If you’re new around here, make sure you grab my free Minerals for Mamas Guide—it’s an easy, powerful place to start.
And if you’re ready to dig deeper, I’ve created a brand new Hormones 101 Secret Podcast you can download!
Short, bingeable episodes packed with everything you need to know to start resetting your energy and hormones.

Both links are waiting for you in the show notes!

Talk soon!