Many factors deeply impact a woman’s mental health. A source that is often overlooked, and disproportionately impacts women, is invisible labour. This refers to the unpaid and oftentimes unnoticed duties that women perform daily at home, in the community and at work. From managing household responsibilities to providing emotional support for family and friends, these tasks, while essential, can harm a woman’s mental health.

What is Invisible Labour?

Invisible labour includes cooking, cleaning, planning, childcare, managing family schedules, remembering important dates, and providing emotional support. These tasks are essential for the functioning of families, workplaces and communities. However, they often fall on women and are inherently expected, undervalued, and ignored. The impact of overseeing these responsibilities may lead to stress, anxiety, depression and burnout, making it increasingly challenging for women to prioritize their well-being.

Mental Health Impact

Juggling multiple roles can lead to exhaustion and an inability to care for one's mental health. Coping with this task may be accompanied by feelings of inadequacy or guilt, especially for women who feel they are not meeting societal expectations. In time, juggling multiple roles may lead to mental health issues like anxiety, depression, hopelessness and chronic stress.

Women are often expected to balance their professional and domestic roles seamlessly, but the fact is, the emotional labour involved can be incredibly depleting. Women may deprioritize their own needs and desires to care for others, disregarding their mental health. Society's expectation of women is that they must always be “on” and flawless. These toxic beliefs can make it harder for women to seek help and care for themselves, leading to a sense of isolation.

The Impact on Women Who Are Marginalized

Women who are marginalized experience the impact of invisible labour compounded with additional systemic inequality, racism, rejection of their identities and cultures, and ableism due to visible and invisible disabilities. These women face these additional layers of challenges that intensify mental health struggles. Women who are marginalized face discrimination at work, home and in society, which makes the demands of invisible labour even more overwhelming.

In addition to managing the typical demands of invisible labour in household, social, and workplace environments, women who are marginalized face additional impacts, including internalization (self-defeating behaviours), interpersonal (bias and discrimination from others), institutional (unequal access to resources), and structural (historical and ongoing inequities). These women often experience amplified feelings of being overburdened, underappreciated, and emotionally exhausted. They frequently feel pressured to work harder to prove themselves in their personal and professional lives, adding other dimensions of stress.

Recognition and Value for Invisible Labour

Addressing mental health challenges tied to invisible labour requires broader societal shifts. Recognizing and valuing invisible labour is key, not only in the home but also in the workplace and community. Others in the household may take on more equal responsibility for domestic tasks, opening up time and space for women to focus on their needs. Workplaces can provide greater flexibility and support for women to balance work and personal life, without the silent expectation that they will solely carry the burden and flawlessly navigate the impacts.

Ways to Support Yourself

The following are some examples of how you can care for your mental health and manage the impact of invisible labour:

1. Set Boundaries: Learn your limits and know it is okay to say no when feeling overwhelmed.
2. Delegating and Sharing tasks: Share tasks with others and ask for help when needed.
3. Self-Care: Take the time to engage in activities that recharge you, like hobbies, home spa care, and spending time in nature.
4. Seek Emotional Support: Talking to trusted friends, family, or a therapist can help to lighten the burden.
5. Acknowledge Your Efforts: Your hard work deserves recognition and validation, even when others don't acknowledge it.
6. Reevaluate Expectations: Reflect on unrealistic expectations and adjust them to focus on what matters.
7. Practice Mindfulness: Using mindfulness to check in with yourself can help manage stress and catch signs of burnout early.

By setting boundaries, seeking support, and prioritizing self-care, you can help reduce the negative impact of invisible labour on your mental, physical and emotional health.

Invisible labour is a significant factor in women’s mental health, leading to stress, burnout, and feelings of inadequacy. For women who are marginalized, this reality is even more impactful due to the additional aspects of inequality and discrimination. To improve women’s overall mental health, we must recognize the impact of invisible labour and work towards a more equitable distribution of responsibilities while also offering greater understanding, support and flexibility in personal and professional settings.

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