Why a Mental Load Test Can Be Useful
Mental load often goes unnoticed for a long time. While many people realize that they’re constantly exhausted or stressed, they can’t pinpoint exactly where that feeling comes from. This is exactly where mental load tests come in: They help make the often-invisible mental work of everyday life visible and allow you to better understand your own mental load.
1. Mental load isn’t always easy to recognize
Maybe you’re familiar with the feeling of constantly having to think about everything. While you’re working, you’re already planning the weekly grocery shopping in your head. At dinner, you’re wondering when the next pediatrician’s appointment is or whether you still need to buy a gift for an upcoming birthday. It’s precisely these many small thoughts that make up mental load. Unlike visible tasks like cooking or cleaning, this organizational work happens in the background. That’s why many people don’t realize until later just how much energy it actually takes. A mental load test can help make this mental work visible. Through specific questions, it becomes clear which tasks and responsibilities you’re juggling in your head every day—and whether they might be unevenly distributed.
2. Self-Assessment Instead of a Medical Diagnosis
Important to know: A mental load test is not a medical diagnosis. These tests cannot diagnose burnout, depression, or other mental health conditions. Instead, they serve as a tool for self-reflection. They highlight how responsibilities are distributed within a family or team and help you become more aware of your own situation.
The tests are particularly helpful when both partners complete them independently and then compare their results together. This reveals differences in perception and creates a solid foundation for discussing tasks, responsibilities, and a more equitable distribution.
A Comparison of the Most Well-Known Mental Load Tests
There are now various mental load tests with different focuses. Some are specifically designed for families, while others focus on the workplace or offer a concise initial assessment. The following overview will help you find the right test for your situation.
1. Mental Load Test@home
Anyone researching the term “mental load” in German-speaking countries will sooner or later come across the Mental Load Test@home from the Equal Care Day initiative, developed by Jo Lücke. The test is one of the best-known and most comprehensive self-assessments. Instead of simply asking who performs certain tasks, it distinguishes between actually carrying out a task and having to think about it. It is precisely this distinction that defines mental load. The checklist is divided into different areas of life—including general household organization, children, and caregiving. This makes it clear who in a family bears the actual responsibility for organization. This test is particularly well-suited for couples and families as a basis for discussion to distribute tasks and responsibilities more fairly.
2. Mental Load Test@work
Mental load doesn’t stop at the front door. In everyday work life, too, many people take on invisible organizational and coordination tasks. This is precisely the focus of the Mental Load Test@work, developed by Patricia Cammarata and Almut Schnerring.
It centers on questions such as:
- Who organizes meetings?
- Who keeps track of birthdays in the team?
- Who keeps the office atmosphere positive?
- Who handles emotional labor within the team?
Especially in modern work environments, such tasks are often taken for granted but are rarely perceived as an additional burden. The test helps make these responsibilities visible and address them openly within teams.
Other Mental Load Tests
Not every mental load test is structured the same way. In addition to the two best-known self-tests, there are numerous shorter checklists and online resources. These are particularly well-suited for anyone who wants to get a quick overview or learn about mental load for the first time.
1. Short Online Self-Tests
If you’d like to get a first impression, you’ll find numerous concise mental load tests online. These include resources from the AOK, NDR, and various parenting and family portals. Compared to the Mental Load Test@home, these self-tests are usually much shorter. Instead of asking about individual tasks in detail, they focus on questions such as:
- Do you often feel responsible for everything?
- Do you find it hard to switch off in everyday life?
- Do you feel like you have to constantly think about everything?
- Do you have enough time to relax?
While these tests don’t provide a detailed analysis of how tasks are divided within a family, they can help you better assess your own mental load. They’re especially useful as a starting point and can be a good way to begin if you’re exploring the topic of mental load for the first time.
2. Checklists for Families
If you want to understand more precisely how mental load is distributed within your family, you’ll usually benefit from more detailed checklists. A good example is the Mental Load Test@home checklist from the Equal Care Day initiative. It lists numerous tasks from various areas of life—from housework and childcare to caring for family members. What makes it unique is that it asks not only who performs a task, but also who remembers that it needs to be done in the first place.
There are also other family-oriented checklists, such as those from Let’s Empower Austria. These, too, help shed light on the often invisible organizational work involved in everyday family life. However, the greatest value of these checklists does not lie in the results themselves. Far more important is the discussion that follows. When the lists are filled out independently and then compared, surprising insights often emerge about how differently each person perceives the division of tasks.
Comparing Mental Load Tests
