How Women Entrepreneurs Are Managing The Mental Load Of Business And Caregiving
Smiling young female entrepreneur going through paperwork while working on a laptop at her dining room table at home
Being a business owner is demanding. Add caregiving into the mix, whether for children, aging parents, or both and the invisible weight of it all can feel overwhelming.
But women entrepreneurs are finding ways to carry the mental load with grace, grit, and growing community support. Here is how.
What Is the Mental Load And Why It Matters For Women Entrepreneurs
The “mental load” refers to the invisible, ongoing to-do list that lives in your head: remembering school pickups, managing doctor appointments, anticipating household needs, and coordinating care. For women who run businesses and care for others, this constant multitasking becomes both emotional labor and mental gymnastics.
A 2024 research from the University of Bath found that mothers carry a staggering 71% of household mental load tasks covering planning, organizing, scheduling, and anticipating needs compared to fathers’ 45%. That imbalance leads to stress, burnout, and impacts on both career and business development.
The Dual Realities: Running A Business And Managing Care
A 2020 study by the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women found that 53.3% of women entrepreneurs have experienced the stereotype that women should prioritize domestic duties over their businesses. That means every business decision like when to fundraise or travel is influenced by caregiving responsibilities.
Even high-profile founders like Babba C. Rivera, CEO of Ceremonia, and Meghan Markle, who built her brand As Ever while raising young children, have spoken publicly about the mental strain of balancing business growth with daily caregiving. Their experiences highlight a common thread: success often hinges on strong support systems, structured routines, shared responsibilities with partners, and a willingness to set boundaries both at work and at home.
Practical Ways Women Entrepreneurs Are Managing The Mental Load
Many women entrepreneurs manage overwhelming mental demands by being strategic about how they work and where they draw boundaries. For example, Sheila Lirio Marcelo, founder of Care.com and now CEO of Ohai.ai, often talks about the invisible “mental load.”
“Imagine, if we declutter our brains, how much freedom we will have to think about big ideas,” she said.
By automating household tasks like meal planning, Marcelo has significantly freed up mental space to lead her business.
Another useful approach comes from Neha Ruch, founder of Mother Untitled, who intentionally paused her corporate career to support her family before building her own platform. She emphasizes mindful scheduling and setting firm boundaries: her calendar reflects both work and caregiving tasks, treating them as equally important commitments and “blocking her schedule” so that neither role overlaps in a way that overloads her mentally
Entrepreneurs are also embracing mental wellness as non-negotiable. According to a Forbes article on how emotional labor affects women’s careers, declining mental health reflects not just stress from work but from managing emotional labor at home alongside leadership roles. That is why many founders now prioritize therapy, peer support groups, or even informal journaling sessions to offload burdens and stay grounded.
Finally, visibility matters. Women entrepreneurs are openly fighting the stigma that caregiving and ambition can’t coexist. By sharing their experiences on platforms like LinkedIn, podcasts, and panels, they are building a new narrative where both roles are seen and supported .
Woman start up small business owner at workplace. small business entrepreneur SME or freelance asian woman working with box at home.
Why This Matters For The Future Of Work
As women continue to launch nearly half of new businesses making up 49% of startups created in 2024 according to a Gusto report, this matter becomes urgent. This figure is a significant increase from only 29% in 2019, illustrating a rapid shift toward greater gender balance in entrepreneurship. With women-led business ownership on the rise, it is crucial that the startup ecosystem supports their full reality including caregiving responsibilities. If the industry truly aims to empower women entrepreneurs, it must acknowledge that caregiving is not optional but foundational to many women’s business journeys impacting decisions around travel, growth, and funding.
Balancing a business and caregiving is not just about doing, it is about thinking ahead, emotional management, and honoring both roles.
As Jessica Alba once said on The Thrive Global Podcast, “You have to work hard and be efficient and effective. But as long as that’s happening, you 100% also need to nurture yourself, and take care of yourself and your wellness.”
Her words are a reminder that managing the mental load means honoring your needs too by acknowledging limits, setting support systems, and recognizing that self-care fuels success.
