The Mental Offload Podcast

In the throes of parenting, it might seem normal to be sleep deprived. Many of us say we need more sleep, but aren't getting it. And it may seem like there's no way to get more…unless we start to shortchange our "me time".

In some households, that might look like general sleep debt, affecting all adults in the household. In others, it opens up the start of household inequality, where you're chronically getting less rest than someone else.

But we know sleep deprivation will tank your performance faster than you can say "white noise machine".

Getting the rest you actually need might seem difficult. And yet, a patriarchal system thrives when women are too exhausted to complain, to take action, and to agitate for change.

And that's why the radical move of reclaiming our rest is the first, best decision we can take.

What you'll learn:

• How the mental load impacts our need for sleep

• How our thinking about our sleeping hours ends up carrying over to other areas…and creates inequality at home

• The patriarchal and productivity narratives that keep women chronically under-rested

• Using a "sleep audit" to get your sleep back on track, and understand the impact of your own socialization

• Why thought work is such an effective approach

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

Who do you turn to for career advice? Some people turn to friends outside of work, others put all the responsibility in the hands of their leaders. These might seem like solid options they can think of as they consider their professional development.

But it's important to understand the limits of how friends (and peers) can support us in our development. And we need to be mindful not to treat a boss as a "work parent", setting up a relationship that doesn't help their career development.

But as unhelpful as those common dynamics are, even worse? Having no one at all to regularly turn to for advice.

In this episode, The Mental Offload presents a different model: developing your personal Board of Advisors to guide your professional growth.

There's that old adage that "behind every successful man, stands a great woman." But behind every successful woman stands…what exactly?

In most cases, there's a team. And while more women are open about this than they were in the past, women are still absorbing messages that the "ideal" is one that leaves them doing it all.

Time to turn down that noise.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How the nuclear family model does NOT help women

• Math vs. Drama about the mental load and help at home, and how to separate the math from the drama

• How to think about the common obstacles to building a team at home

• What we can learn from building a team at work that can help us at home

• Why deciding you're worthy of a team at home is the first decision you need to make

Who doesn't have too much to do these days? There's usually too much stuff coming in for the 24 hours in a day. That can lead us to try to "just do it," trying to power our way through our to-do list.

In this episode, we discuss why an "order taker" approach to getting things done usually backfires - leaving us exhausted and spread too thin. And why setting better priorities is the key to operating both strategically and effectively.

We'll also look at what successful people do differently when it comes to priorities, and we'll break down that process into 4 steps that you can steal today.

You'll Learn:

• The real reasons we end up with too many priorities

• What's the difference between priorities vs. goals vs. tasks?

• The 3 things successful people do differently when setting priorities

• A key way to set up "constructive confrontation" and good prioritization conversations

• How to stop sabotaging difficult prioritization decisions

• 4 steps to setting better priorities - and living from them

Want More?

You can get more of The Mental Offload at www.thementaloffload.com, where you can sign up for the weekly newsletter. You can also sign up for upcoming workshops & events.

In this episode, Shawna mentions the upcoming Time Management Masterclass, which you can register for here.

How do you lead others through a time of layoffs, reorganizations, and end of year reviews? And how can you better support colleagues who may have just gotten the most difficult work news of their lives? Is there a "right" way to lay off an employee? Or to deliver a challenging performance review?

Sometimes as leaders, we need to deliver bad news to good people. And we're often not given the guidance and training we need to do it well.

These are challenging conversations to lead. But there are ways to lead others – and ourselves – with compassion. And there are pitfalls to avoid.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The best way to deliver bad news to good employees
• 5 DON'Ts of delivering bad news (and what to do instead)
• How to be a supportive colleague, when you're not the one impacted
• Questions to consider while you're in the midst of a reorganization

This is the real talk that every leader needs.

Learn more about the Mental Offload at www.thementaloffload.com.

What is imposter syndrome? And why does it seem to disproportionately affect high-achieving women?

When we're thrown into something new, whether by choice or by chance, it's natural to have some self-doubt. But sometimes the voice of those doubts can become way too loud for comfort. Women are more likely to grapple with Imposter Syndrome, and are often told we need to "fix it" in order to become more effective leaders.

The standard advice is to "fake it 'til you make it," which might help us appear confident on the outside, but does nothing to quell our inner critic. And the latest research on imposter syndrome suggests that there are important pieces of the story around Imposter Syndrome that have been left out of the conversation.

With a grounding in the evidence, this episode is packed with actionable strategies that you can use to combat Imposter Syndrome, and dial down the noise of your inner critic.

For more on imposter syndrome and thriving as a woman balancing a demanding career and family life, visit www.thementaloffload.com.

Mom Guilt seems to lurk everywhere. Especially if you're a working mother. Work long hours? You're supposed to feel guilty about not being a good enough mother. Missing meetings when your kid is sick yet again? You're supposed to feel guilty about not being a good enough employee.

How to escape from the guilt trap? Is it even possible?! In this episode, we go deep into Mom Guilt and shame, what causes it, and how to get rid of it. Mom Guilt truly is optional when you learn this approach.

In many corporate environments, our days can feel like whack-a-mole: overscheduled, overstretched, too much time in meetings to tackle the important work. Add kids to the mix, and it can feel like there's no way to win. Is the idea of "having it all" a mirage, a dream that can never be attained?

We'll confront the structural and cultural changes that are obstacles on the path to having it all. And explore how it might still be possible to overcome them.

Corporate leaders would tell you that women "lose" their ambition once they have children. The solution they offer: women need to lean in! The only problem with that narrative? That crisis of ambition is…largely a myth. Some women opt out, but many feel forced out. And some are stuck in a state of analysis paralysis about how to proceed.

It's time for some real talk about women's ambition and the biases that create the "ambition penalty". And we'll cover how feminist women can grapple with ambition, and frame career decisions when motherhood comes into the mix.

The Mental Offload is here in podcast form! This is the podcast for women who want to excel as leaders without sacrificing a fulfilling family life. In the trailer, you'll hear about upcoming episodes tackling ambition, Mom guilt, and imposter syndrome. Hosted by Shawna Samuel, Yale MBA and Certified Feminist Coach.