This book is a toolkit designed to help you identify and prevent the things that sap your energy, so that you can free up capacity to live the life you truly want.

The term mental load has become more familiar in recent years, but the popular understanding of the concept often reduces it to managing a list of household chores and logistics. The reality is far more complex. Based on groundbreaking research from the University of Melbourne's Future of Work Lab, Professor Leah Ruppanner reveals the real toll of the mental load on women-especially mothers.

The heart of the book is the Mental Load Audit, a powerful, practical tool to help you assess where you are spending your time and attention. Take the Mental Load Burnout quiz to find out where you rate on the scale, then use Leah's research-backed battle plan to reorient your life towards the things that matter most.

Urgent and provocative, Drained will enable you to stop blaming yourself for never feeling like you are enough and create a richer, less overwhelming existence filled with more meaning and joy.