Are there Genetic Connections to Mental Load?

Last Updated on May 22, 2025 by Joseph Gut – thasso

May 21, 2025 – Ever heared of it?   Mental load refers to the “thinking work” you do daily. A cognitive task such as remembering which groceries to buy may not seem like much. But when those invisible tasks accumulate and the load gets heavy, it can affect your relationships, physical health and mental well-being. So, the  concept of Mental Load is largely a psychological and sociocultural one.

Not surprising, there are ways to explore mental load’s relationship with genetics, especially in terms of how individual differences in cognitive, emotional, and stress-related traits may influence a person’s experience of mental load. Such possible genetic connections to mental load may include:

1. Cognitive capacity and sxecutive function, both involving genes that affect working memory, attention, and multitasking ability (e.g., COMT, BDNF) may influence how well someone manages complex mental tasks. Individuals with high executive function may handle the demands of mental load more efficiently, while those with lower capacity may experience more stress.

2. Stress Response and Resilience may involve genetic variations in the HPA axis (e.g., CRHR1, FKBP5, NR3C1) which influence how people react to prolonged cognitive and emotional strain. People with certain variants may be more sensitive to stress, making the mental load feel heavier.

3. Neuroticism and Emotional Sensitivity (Sensory processing): Traits like neuroticism, which are partially heritable, can affect how overwhelmed or anxious someone feels when carrying a mental load. Genes linked to serotonin (like 5-HTTLPR (5-HTT)) and dopamine regulation may play roles here.

4. Gender and Hormonal Influences: Mental load being a sociocultural phenomenon, gender-depeendent genetic and hormonal differences (e.g., estrogen’s effect on memory and multitasking) might influence how people perceive and manage mental load.

In réalité of daily life, there exists a disproportionate burden on women which may be much better explained by societal norms than by biological differences. Mental load in women is a widely recognized issue, particularly in heterosexual households, where women often carry the invisible burden of managing household, family and organisational issues of daily life responsibilities, all at the same time. Therefore, mental load is not just about doing tasks; it’s about being the one who notices what needs to be done, plans for it, and ensures it gets completed, often while juggling work, caregiving, and emotional support roles.

This may include a uncontrollable multitude of very divergent task, such as planning meals, organizing childcare, scheduling doctor’s appointments, buying gifts, remembering school events, constantly thinking ahead on things like are running low on diapers, have the kids a school project next week, or do I need to book the plumber? In addition, women face the burdens of emotional labor and extensive multitasking such as managing the emotional well-being of children, partners, in-laws, or friends, often without reciprocation, and the frequent switching between professional and domestic roles, often without mental downtime, often under lack of any acknowledgment. Their efforts remain often remain invisible and are taken for granted, which results in internal  frustration and emotional exhaustion.

It is not to say that men could not suffer from exaggerated mental load too. The behinds may simply be different from those found in women. In men, mental Load may arise through provider pressure, where many men feel a strong expectation in face of financial providers, which adds a continuous layer of mental stress related to career performance, income, and financial security for their families. Similarly to the feelings of women, but clearly different from women’s, men may live with invisible labor too by taking on household planning, parenting schedules, or elder care that often goes unrecognized, especially if they are seen primarily as “helpers” rather than equals in domestic roles. Some men act as emotional anchors in their families or relationships, expected to “stay strong” or manage others’ emotional needs while suppressing their own stress or anxiety. Also, men may be expected to do more at home than in previous generations, without always receiving the tools, recognition, or support to manage that shift smoothly, which may lead to a solation, simply because mental load in men is less often discussed. Many feel isolated in their experience, thinking they should just “man up” or that they are failing if they feel overwhelmed.

For women and men alike, there exist proposals on how to address mental load and to relief it if ever possible: Share mental load in that oartners should actively participate not only in tasks but in thinking and planning them together. Also, name the problem in that just identifying and talking about the mental load can be empowering and help change dynamics; Similarly, there are tools like hared calendars, checklists, or apps that make invisible work visible to everyone. Moreover,set boundaries and prioritize rest and time for self-care without guilt.

In any case, free you up from self-isolation, self-overburdening (even if it is mental and not physical), and of the feeling of self-guilt. No easy taks indeed.

Note a powerful quote from the comic artist Emma (who popularized the term with her comic “Fallait demander“): “You didn’t ask me to take care of it, but I noticed it needed doing, and I did it. That’s the mental load“.

See here an sequence on varing aspects of Mental Load:

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