At a moment when life is supposed to be getting easier - when AI promises to streamline our days and digital tools promise "time saved" - many Americans are feeling the opposite: overwhelmed, overextended, and increasingly alone in managing the relentless demands of everyday life. There are always more tasks to handle, more decisions to make, more platforms to navigate, and more people to coordinate with than ever before. So why is this happening? Why does time feel so out of reach? Why, even as "efficiency" and AI take over headlines, do most people find themselves not just managing more but managing more alone?
This report explores the hidden weight of modern life and the consequences of that mental load. That includes the day-to-day responsibilities that keep us from booking medical appointments and managing childcare, to simply buying groceries, and the emotional strain that comes with trying to hold it all together. Based on a nationally representative survey, conducted in partnership with The Harris Poll, of U.S. adults fielded in May 2025, the findings examine how people are coping, who is struggling the most, and why help feels so far away, even when people want it.
What we found is both familiar and urgent: Americans want help, but they often hesitate to seek it. Not because they don’t need it and not because they don’t want it, but because they largely do not feel they are allowed.
Some key findings include:
Procrastination is common, but asking for help is rare, even when it comes to our health.
Over one in five Americans (22%) say they avoid or procrastinate scheduling their own doctor’s appointments unless absolutely necessary, or avoid it altogether. And only 7% ask for help.
Women are the most likely to delay booking their own doctor’s appointments: 31% of women aged 18–34 admit to procrastinating or avoiding entirely. One in ten in that group says they simply don’t do it.
For women and parents, the burden is emotional as well as logistical.
Nearly half of women aged 18 to 54 (47%) say they don’t want to burden others by asking for help. Nearly one in five (19%) in that age range say they don’t think their needs are as important as other people’s.
Parents are more likely than non-parents to delay essential tasks like self-care, errands, and even doctor’s appointments for themselves, despite staying on top of these responsibilities for others.
Free time doesn’t feel free.
75% of Americans say that, even in their free time, they feel there is something they should be doing.
64% of Americans aged 18–54 admit they’re mostly just trying to get through the day, instead of enjoying it.
Half of all Americans agree that time feels like a luxury they can’t afford. That number climbs significantly for younger adults and women. Among those aged 18–34, 67% agree. And for women in that age group, it spikes to an overwhelming 74%.
The biggest blocker to getting help? Internalized pressure.
48% of Americans say they feel they should be able to handle things themselves. Combined with data that points to guilt, shame, and a lack of clear pathways to delegate, this creates a cultural environment where overwhelm becomes the norm.
People do not need to be convinced that the mental load is real, and growing. It’s driven not by monumental crises, but by the endless stream of necessary, invisible work that’s essential to keeping life moving. And Americans need the cultural permission- and practical tools- to get the help they so desperately need.
Read the full report here, and stay tuned for our blog series on this report!