Invisible Labour & Mental Health

www.drmichaelmol.com
Invisible labour and its impact on Mental Health
Here is a scenario that every mom I know will be truly familiar with: it’s a Tuesday morning and you have been up for an hour preparing lunchboxes, signing homework, checking kit bags, making sure water bottles are full, making sure the project that is due today is packaged in a way that it doesn’t fall apart on the way to school. Oh yes, then its feeding the dogs, changing the cat litter and taking a loaf of bread out of the freezer. Oops, almost forgot to send in money for the cake sale, label the new swimming cozzie and urgh, where are all the clean masks?!?
Somehow, it doesn’t matter what age your kids are, there is always something to pack or remember, someone who needs to be somewhere, on specific day at a specific time.
It’s exhausting just talking about it, so imagine the mental load of thinking like this all day every day, on top of dealing with the demands of a full-time job and a needy husband (not that I would know anything about that)? In addition to sapping time and energy, much of this work goes unseen, which means it’s also typically taken for granted.
Sound familiar? Have I got your attention!?
This hair-raising scenario is referred to as “invisible labour”, or so called "worry work", and because it’s “invisible”, it goes unnoticed, with many women blissfully unaware that it’s even a “thing”. It is very definitely a “thing”.

[@tinahalle3575]

I am 48 years old and came up in a generation where no one saw this yet I felt it . I felt it big time but I didn’t have a word for it and no one understood why I felt like life was just too much , too busy and I became so depressed. Not just for this reason but it was like the straw about to break the camels back . I’m coming out of that depression now but the invisible and emotional labor is still there . Feels like it’s stealing my life away and no one notices anything lol . I laugh but really …. I’m crying inside. I’m noticing a change though in people finally recognizing this and guys even talking on it … I just want all you guys to know that it’s really appreciated. I feel like I’m in an in between generation on the precipice of change from the old outdated ways that don’t work in our modern culture . Having that hindsight alone takes the angst away a bit lol .

[@keithcoats5728]

Brilliant Michael. Thank you.

[@kellyoliver5352]

Wow this was so validating. I feel like I could have written this. Thank you.

[@drmichaelmol]

Thanks for being an unsung hero Kelly