Well, it is Groundhog Day and another government shutdown. Luckily, word on the street is that this one should be brief. Even before I knew I was going to be furloughed tomorrow, I had already planned to take the day off work. I feel in desperate need of a break. Anyone with small kids can relate to the fact that holidays and weekends are not, in fact, a break.
Since the last shutdown, I have been working hard to catch up and get the lab back up to full speed. That was followed immediately by the holiday prep and planning that happens both at work and at home (organizing lab and work events, buying presents for kids and family, booking holiday fun, etc). The mental load is exhausting. Add in the inevitable winter illnesses (Christmas flu, in our case) and snow days (going on our 6th snow day today), and suddenly everything feels heavier. Winter is also when summer camp planning happens for school-age kids, which I found particularly stressful this year. Meanwhile, I had several big work deadlines in December and January that required significant time and focused effort.
Luckily, I’ve been a parent for almost seven years, so this isn’t my first rodeo with unplanned work disruptions. I think I did a pretty good job planning ahead (contingency childcare, coordinating with my husband about early mornings, late nights, and weekend work). Still, one thing I want to do better in 2026 is to reduce the mental load. Easier said than done.
This topic actually came up recently in my local neighborhood book club. Another working mother suggested “What’s on Her Mind: The Mental Workload of Family Life” by Allison Daminger. We ended up choosing “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir instead, but maybe one day soon I’ll skim that book. Right now, the idea of reading an entire book about mental load feels like the needle that would finally break this camel’s back—haha. Side note, I am currently reading The Women by Kristen Hannah.
I am happy to report that I met all my deadlines—phew! I’m especially proud of one paper revision we just submitted. One day I may share some wisdom or tips on how to survive a season like this, but I am only hours past survival and not quite there yet.
One small thing that brought me joy this past week: my oldest is deep into a LEGO phase again. When a recent big snowstorm was coming, I bought myself the flower LEGO bouquet I’d been coveting. It turns out that snapping tiny plastic flowers together with my son was the perfect brief little reset that I didn’t know that I needed.
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