Empowering minds – Closing the mental load gap across the Nordics

Understanding the invisible pressures shaping wellbeing and performance across the Nordics

The demands of modern work and life increasingly compete for our attention, leaving many people with less space for rest, clarity and meaningful focus. Much of this pressure is not immediately visible. It sits in the constant planning, anticipating, coordinating and carrying of responsibilities that keep both work and home life running. Research refers to this hidden but persistent strain as mental load.

Our new Nordic report, Empowering minds: Closing the mental load gap across the Nordics, takes a closer look at how this hidden burden shows up across Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden – and what it means for organizations aiming to build healthier, more resilient ways of working.

A first look at the findings shows that awareness of mental load varies widely across the Nordics, and even where people express openness to seeking help, this does not always turn into actual support‑seeking behaviour. The data also reveals that certain groups experience a disproportionately high mental load, highlighting where targeted organisational support can make the greatest impact.

This report offers exclusive insights into key questions shaping the future of wellbeing at work:

• What is mental load?
• How familiar are people with the concept across the Nordics?
• How big is the gap between openness to seeking help and actual support utilisation?
• Turning intention into action: What enables real behaviour change?
• What can we, people, and men do? Practical steps for organisations, teams and individuals.

Why this matters for your business

For employers, partners and policymakers, these insights show exactly where targeted interventions can make the most impact – from preventive support to workplace initiatives to communication strategies that activate behavior change.

Get the complete findings, insights and actionable recommendations:

Methodology

The insights in this report have been sourced via YouGov Surveys and YouGov Shopper​.

The multi-region survey was conducted from September the 3rd, 2025 – September the 5th, 2025. Insights are available for 4 markets: Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, and Sweden. ​Nationally representative samples (over 18 years old): Quotas by gender, age and region​.

The insights in this report were sourced via YouGov Shopper's Online Access Panel, and is part of a wider Behavior Change report running twice per year. ​

The multi-region survey was conducted in November 2025. Insights are available for Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden (+18 more markets)​

Sample: The survey targeted main shoppers, household members responsible (fully or partly) for the purchase of everyday goods: Representative of each country’s adult population (18+) by age, gender, and region; N=750 per market.

YouGov

YouGov is a global market research and analytics company, providing insights into what the world really thinks, does, wants and buys.

To do so, we connect daily with our engaged members around the world to gather their thoughts, behaviors, and opinions. This commitment to real-time interactions with real people enables us to ensure that our research data is powered by reality.

As a YouGov member, your opinions and behaviors are valued and rewarded. Whether you’re answering questions or scanning your shopping, the data you share helps companies, brands, and governments to better understand your reality and make decisions that support your needs.

YouGov /Research Reality