How Heavy Is Your Mental Load?

Let me ask you a few questions.

How many days till your rent or mortgage is due? When are you going to go to the store to buy more bread and eggs? When was the last time you took your car in for an oil change?

Now tell me this – were you able to answer these questions immediately? Or did you have to stop and think for a minute? Did just reading that list make you feel stressed out?

Mental load is the everyday thinking required to keep your life on track. It is the invisible cognitive workout behind everything you do. At home, at school, or on the job – you can’t escape it.

Some personality types seem to have a knack for keeping track of every little detail in life. They never run out of toilet paper or forget a birthday. Their bills are never overdue. Somehow, they manage to show up on time to all of their appointments.

Others have higher-ranking priorities on their mind than making sure that their fridge is well stocked. They buy what they need when they need it. It’s simply not on their radar to pay attention to those little details.

Mental Load Is Not Purely Circumstantial

It doesn't matter if you’re male or female, going to school, working a job, raising children, or living with a partner or roommates. Everyone carries a mental load. Some of us just tend to carry around a heavier load than others.

In this article, we’re going to explore how personality type plays a key role in how much mental load you take on and how you deal with it.

The individual traits that make up your personality type offer a very powerful indicator of whether you take a “whistle while you work” attitude toward your mental load, or whether it leaves you feeling drained and exhausted.

Personality traits are also a fairly reliable predictor of whether you even bother to think about all those minute details in life, let alone plan ahead and make a little (or extensive) mental checklist.

How Personality Traits Influence the Load You Bear

So, which aspects of personality hold sway over this part of our cognitive process?

If you haven’t taken our free personality test yet, now’s a great time to do so. Learn which traits make up your personality type before reading any further.

Introverted vs. Extraverted

Our research shows that Introverted personalities are more likely to feel overwhelmed and emotionally drained by their mental load. They tend to get wrapped up in details and have a harder time asking for help than their Extraverted counterparts do.

Extraverted personality types, on the other hand, are more likely to feel energized after knocking off their mental to-do list. While they may not be as in tune with little details and may overlook more subtle needs, they are generally open to taking the initiative to get things done.

Intuitive vs. Observant

Personality types with the Intuitive trait have a natural predisposition to think in terms of potential. When it comes to mental load, this can manifest as a strong ability to anticipate future needs – though Intuitive types are less likely to set specific goals.

Observant types, who are known as practical doers, tend to focus on what’s useful. They are more likely to see those day-to-day things that need to be done and do them. This tendency can result in quite a heavy mental to-do list.

Thinking vs. Feeling

Personality types with a strong Thinking trait largely try to avoid making decisions based on emotions, rarely falling victim to the “I don’t feel like it” mentality. They also tend to evaluate situations and make daily decisions from a logical standpoint. This helps them take their mental load in stride.

Feeling types, on the other hand, rely more on their heart when it comes to decision-making. They highly value the input of others. This doesn’t mean that people with Feeling personalities shy away from taking on responsibility. On the contrary, they thrive knowing that other people rely on them, and they love feeling needed.

Judging vs. Prospecting

Of all the personality traits, this one has a particularly strong influence on a person’s tendency to carry a heavy mental load.

People with the Judging trait are planners with a capital P. They plan, and they have a backup plan for their backup plan. They set specific goals for each day and try to accomplish them, constantly updating and revising their mental checklist as they go.

Prospecting personality types tend to be more flexible and less likely to want to control what’s going on around them. They may be constantly thinking up new ideas, but sometimes they underestimate the importance of details and can be slow to make decisions. Many Prospecting types don’t hesitate to throw their plans to the wind when their interests change or if they’re not satisfied with how things are working out. They may have a mental to-do list a mile long, but nothing on it is etched in stone.

Assertive vs. Turbulent

The Identity personality trait mostly influences how a person feels about their mental load. Carrying the weight of a million daily decisions in the mind can be stressful and take its toll on anyone.

Assertive individuals, however, are more resistant to stress and able to handle difficult situations with steady assurance. In general, they have more confidence in their multitasking capabilities and find it easier to make decisions on their own.

Turbulent people are more stress-driven and tend to be perfectionists. They excel at spotting everything that can possibly go wrong, which makes them naturals at anticipating things that need to be done. Channeling their worry into their mental load is normal, and when this is combined with a general hesitancy to ask for help, Turbulent types may find themselves feeling overburdened with too much on their plate.

How Different Roles Tend to Handle Mental Load

When we look at how different personality types deal with their mental load, we see some predictable patterns. Certain Roles, which share common traits, stand out for having a real handle on keeping their life running effectively. The opposite is also true: other Roles tend to suffer more stress and anxiety due to their mental load.

Analysts

The Architect (INTJ), Logician (INTP), Commander (ENTJ), and Debater (ENTP) personality types that belong to the Analyst Role boast admirable mental agility that makes them well equipped to handle the cognitive demands of daily life.

With shared Intuitive and Thinking traits, they have an ability to pick up on what's needed and come up with creative strategies for any situation. They have high standards and care a lot about success, which may drive them to take on too much mental responsibility. Some Analysts, however, may find themselves struggling with the follow-through required to move things along.

Commanders are especially goal-driven and strategic in their thinking. If they find themselves in a complex life situation with a career, a relationship, and children, they can confidently carry the weight of their mental load. Turbulent Commanders (ENTJ-T), however, are nearly three times more likely to report feeling overwhelmed by life, compared to their Assertive counterparts.

Diplomats

Advocates (INFJ), Mediators (INFP), Protagonists (ENFJ), and Campaigners (ENFP) share the Intuitive and Feeling traits. Diplomat personality types are the most likely to feel overwhelmed by the daily demands of life and the mental load that they carry. Turbulent Diplomats in particular say they struggle to effectively manage the stress caused by the weight of excessive expectations.

Some Diplomats may struggle with day-to-day tasks and chores, while others may find themselves overly accommodating in an effort to contribute to the greater good.

Protagonists, on the other hand, with their Extraverted and Judging personality traits, are the least likely to strain under the weight of their mental load. They set specific goals and know how to ask for help when they need it. They are generally good at balancing their responsibilities, and they hate letting other people down.

Sentinels

The Logistician (ISTJ), Defender (ISFJ), Executive (ESTJ), and Consul (ESFJ) personality types all seem perfectly in their element doing the cognitive work required to keep life moving along. Sentinels tend to be confident in their ability to execute their ideas and are self-motivated, driven, and lovers of stability.

Sharing both the Observant and Judging traits, Sentinels steadfastly go about their work, happily executing their plans. They are true masters of their mental load, seeing what needs to be done, organizing practical solutions, and finding great satisfaction in checking tasks off their daily to-do lists.

Executives are the least likely of all personality types to report feeling overwhelmed by their extensive to-do lists, and they’re confident that they can manage the stress of daily life.

Explorers

Explorers – Virtuosos (ISTP), Adventurers (ISFP), Entrepreneurs (ESTP), and Entertainers (ESFP) – tend to be impulsive when going after their goals, sometimes having to start over (and potentially becoming discouraged) because of poor planning. Because of the obstacles that they may encounter, Explorer personality types are not immune to becoming overwhelmed by the demands of life (though they generally tend to take things in stride). All the same, they seem to move on from one thing to the next without becoming bogged down by the weight of all their responsibilities.

Some Explorers are risk-takers, and nearly all live in the moment of “now.” They tend to struggle with productive work habits, thinking about the long term, and those nitty-gritty details that require patience to tackle. They prefer to deal with life’s demands as they present themselves.

Take Adventurers, for example. Adventurers are improvisers by nature. Extensive planning limits their possibilities. They bristle at being micromanaged – especially by their own mental to-do list.

Moving Beyond Generalizations

As you can see, many factors play into the mental load that an individual ends up carrying around.

Whether at work, at school, or at home, we all have to organize our lives – both for ourselves and the people around us. Self-confidence, a willingness to ask for help, and even our communication skills all play critical roles in how we do this and how we feel about doing it.

We invite you to explore the components of personal growth in your Premium Profile to gain objective insights into how you manage the details of everyday living, from work to school to relationships and parenting. Take our surveys to see how you fit in with others of your personality type when it comes to handling stress, relying on others, self-motivation, or self-discipline.

Do you have any thoughts, insights, examples, or experiences to share? Be sure to leave a comment below.

And check out these other articles in our series on personality type and mental load: