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 Episode 22 of I Hate Talking tackles the concept of mental load, also known as cognitive labor, defined as the cognitive effort required in managing work, relationships, family, and household tasks. The hosts delve into the often invisible and intangible responsibilities involving thinking, planning, and decision-making. The episode explores potential gender disparities in mental load, acknowledges it as a contemporary "hot topic", and distinguishes between normal mental load and problematic mental overload which can lead to mental fatigue.

Key Points:

1. Definition of Mental Load: The cognitive effort required to manage work, relationships, family, and household. It includes anticipating needs, finding solutions, making decisions, monitoring progress, and overseeing tasks/schedules.
2. Mental Load vs. Mental Overload: The hosts differentiate between mental load, which everyone experiences, and mental overload, which leads to fatigue and needs to be addressed.
3. Gender Roles: The episode touches on the stereotypical perception that women often bear a disproportionate share of the mental load, particularly in managing household and family-related tasks, even when both partners work full-time.
4. Routine vs. Non-Routine Tasks: The hosts differentiate between routine tasks (which can be systemized and automated to reduce mental effort) and non-routine tasks (which demand more cognitive resources).
5. Managing Mental Load: Suggest robust systems for tracking and managing responsibilities to reduce the mental burden and make it more manageable.
6. Anecdotes and Examples: The hosts use personal anecdotes and examples to illustrate the concept of mental load, contrasting different approaches to planning, task management, and division of responsibilities.
7. Birthdays: The hosts touch on having to put events (such as family birthdays) on the calander, and all the additional planning that falls on one person (in this case, the woman) such as gifting and card buying.

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Any views expressed on this podcast are those solely of the hosts and is for entertainment purposes only. None of the content is medical advice or financial advice.

Special thanks to Tim Wright aka CoLD SToRAGE for his permission to use the song Operatique.