First of all, the term says nothing other than that in everyday life, in addition to the visible tasks, there are many, many invisible tasks that are never explicitly mentioned and yet they all have to be identified, considered, planned and then completed in passing. In business, this would simply be called project management. You don't usually have to explain to women what mental load is. It is somehow part of being a woman to be responsible for everything in the household, in the relationship and in relation to the children. Many men who hear the term for the first time, on the other hand, have a big question mark in their heads.

Absolutely. Especially where there is a big pay gap between men and women, women have reduced or even given up their jobs to look after the children, who were suddenly at home 24 hours a day and, depending on their age, had to be cooked for, kept busy and educated.

I think you should approach the whole thing like classic project management. Firstly, carry out an inventory. Compile everything in as much detail as possible, who does what when and how often, and make a note of who thinks about it and initiates the process. Secondly, develop a weekly meeting routine in which tasks and responsibilities are allocated and the following is discussed: Who does what and when? Thirdly, conduct a retrospective every few months: What went well, what went badly? Why? Where was additional work required? What needs to be redistributed? Which tasks can be handed over permanently? Which tasks should be redistributed in order to build up knowledge and expertise?