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Jen is Zen - Invisible Labor

Author
Dr. Jennifer Brubaker
Published
Mon 08 Sep 2025
Episode Link
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Invisible labor is the unseen work that keeps families, relationships, and workplaces running smoothly, yet it often goes unrecognized. Tasks like scheduling appointments, handling logistics, emotional support, and household responsibilities are rarely acknowledged as productivity, but they are the foundation that makes visible accomplishments possible.

Sociologists call this the mental load - the constant planning, anticipating, and remembering that disproportionately falls on women and mothers. This hidden work includes coordinating family schedules, preparing meals, managing healthcare, and smoothing over everyday challenges. While invisible labor may not produce immediate, measurable results, it creates stability, trust, and the conditions that allow others to succeed.

Reframing productivity means valuing not only visible outcomes but also the unseen contributions that build strong families and balanced lives. Recognizing invisible labor as real accomplishment challenges the cultural belief that worth is tied only to tangible output. Invisible does not mean nothing - it is essential, powerful, and deserving of acknowledgment.

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