For almost as long as time immortal, it seems that women have long carried the burden of household tasks such as grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry, etc. These tasks can be physically exhausting, but much of that is attributed to the fact that there is often a lot of thinking that goes behind them.
Now I know what you are thinking: “Kristi, I can scrub a toilet with my eyes closed.” But that’s not the thinking I’m talking about. It’s the thinking about making sure you remembered to add the toilet bowl cleaner to your list during your last trip to the grocery store. It’s making sure that you have all the ingredients for the meal you promised to deliver to your elderly folks. It’s remembering to call the sprinkler company to shut off the water before the worse of winter sets in.
Harvard sociologist Allison Daminger defines this as cognitive labor. It’s “behind the scenes” thinking, both anticipatory and follow-up. It’s being responsible for making the decisions that ensure that all your plans and to-dos come to fruition.
And let’s face it: it can be utterly exhausting.
That is why is so important to carve time out of every day just for yourself: time to shut out the world and all the cognitive labor it involves. And there is not better way to do that than through meditation. Making meditation part of your daily routine will enhance your focus, your energy and your happiness. It has totally transformed my life; let it transform yours, too.