{"id":210987,"date":"2025-10-13T23:36:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T23:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/210987\/"},"modified":"2025-10-13T23:36:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T23:36:13","slug":"how-caregiving-affects-moms-mental-and-physical-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/210987\/","title":{"rendered":"How Caregiving Affects Moms’ Mental \u2014 and Physical \u2014 Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tIt\u2019s no secret that moms shoulder the vast majority of caregiving responsibilities<\/a>. It\u2019s a pattern so ingrained and accepted that it\u2019s been made the butt of jokes for decades, as women commiserate over their partners\u2019 inability or unwillingness to keep the household running. It\u2019s why we say \u201cDad\u2019s babysitting,\u201d when he\u2019s really just watching the kids like any parent should; it\u2019s why the moms across the Internet get irritated when their partners are praised for doing the bare minimum<\/a>. And the jokes aren\u2019t as funny when we remember that this discrepancy takes a real toll on moms\u2019 mental and physical health.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Teen<\/p>\n

\tRelated story<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tTeens’ Mental Health Looks Different in 2025. Here\u2019s What Parents Need to Know\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe Mental Weight of Care\u201d was the topic of conversation at an enlightening panel at the Flow Space Women\u2019s Health Summit<\/a> last week. Eve Rodsky<\/a>, creative leadership expert and\u00a0New York Times\u00a0best-selling author of\u00a0Fair Play<\/a>, recalled an all-too-relatable anecdote where one text sent her over the edge. \u201cThis entire movement started with a text my husband sent me that said, \u2018I\u2019m surprised we didn\u2019t get blueberries,’\u201d Rodsky remembered. The text arrived when Rodsky was sitting in her car with a breast pump, a diaper bag, and a vaccination card, in the middle of running errands for her kids. Being reminded of the one thing she didn\u2019t do was truly the last straw. That moment led Rodsky to write Fair Play and found the Fair Play Policy Institute<\/a>, a foundation that works toward equitable caregiving<\/a> through programming and grants.<\/p>\n

\n\tRodsky\u2019s Fair Play Policy Institute also produces research on caregiving, and partnered with USC in 2024 for a report that found that not only do women shoulder most of the caregiving load, but they also think about it more. \u201cPlanning, from my perspective, is a much bigger workload than doing it,\u201d said G\u00f6zde Din\u00e7<\/a>, director of media, strategic partnerships and innovation and digital marketing at Genentech. \u201cWhat that data showed is every, every chore, except for taking the garbage out\u2026 is really woman-dominated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe weight of all those chores and all that organizing can wear down the physical and mental health<\/a> of moms and other caregivers. Per the American Psychological Association<\/a>, multiple meta-analyses have found that caregivers experience higher levels of depression<\/a> and physical health problems than non-caregivers. There are multiple factors that go into that trend, from the toxic effects of chronic stress<\/a> on the body and mind to the way caregivers, including moms, are forced to deprioritize their own needs. Din\u00e7 has experienced that herself: she admitted that she makes sure her son gets to all his doctor\u2019s appointments on time, but hasn\u2019t seen her own doctor in three years.<\/p>\n

\n\tModerator Dr. Nasim Afsar<\/a>, healthcare executive\u00a0and managing director of Healthcare Innovation Partners LLC, confirmed that the stress of caregiving manifests in multiple ways. \u201cWe have really good data that shows us that when we do have increased stress levels, we have higher cortisol or stress level hormones that relates to our ability to be able to metabolize and process sugars,\u201d she explains. \u201cSo hello, weight gain.\u201d Chronic stress<\/a> is also related to risk for \u201ca number of different diseases, including autoimmune diseases and cancer,\u201d she adds. So stress, we know has lots of different biological pathways that are not good for our health, especially over a lifetime.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe positive news is that it\u2019s possible to achieve more equitable caregiving within your family. The bad news? \u201cIt\u2019s really hard,\u201d says Rodsky, whose Fair Play system offers one alternative, based on boundaries, systems, and communication. \u201cPeople have a hard time adopting it, because women have no boundaries\u2026 and that\u2019s unfortunately, a case of the patriarchy<\/a>,\u201d she explains. Her advice: \u201cStart where you are.\u201d Rodsky, for example, couldn\u2019t jump in with an entirely new system for her husband and family. \u201cMy partner would have never come to the table,\u201d she says. \u201cFor us, it had to be practicing on my own personal boundaries and communication.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tShe recommends implementing regular check-ins, which provide a calm space to air out concerns. \u201cMost of the women that we surveyed over 10 years love to give feedback in the moment,\u201d Rodsky says, but the more effective time to give it is at a time when \u201cwhen emotion is low and cognition is high,\u201d she explains \u2014 i.e., that designated check-in time. <\/p>\n

\n\tAs important as those practical fixes are, Din\u00e7 also points out that we all have to be more cognizant of the work that goes into caregiving \u2014 and that includes those that benefit from it. \u201cThere has to be more visibility and more understanding of what that really takes,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\n\tWe\u2019ll underscore that \u2014 and add that there should be more conversation about the way caregiving is a full-time job that wears on your body and mind just like an in-office 9-to-5. We can praise moms for being superhuman for doing it all \u2014 and they are \u2014 while also recognizing that they shouldn\u2019t have to, and advocating for them to have more help from partners and outside organizations alike.<\/p>\n

\n\tBefore you go, check out our favorite mental health apps:<\/p>\n

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