The Difference Between Emotional Labor and Mental Load, and How to Discuss Both With Your Partner

It’s almost Labor Day—a holiday that the U.S. Department of Labor describes as “an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers.” Regardless of whether you take that claim at face value, or see the day off as a government scam, it’s not a bad idea to take the opportunity to consider all the work people do that doesn’t come with a paycheck, and largely goes unnoticed: invisible labor.

Invisible labor is often thought of as all the chores that a member of a household does to keep it running, while their partner and/or rest of their family is blissfully unaware that they are tasks that need to be done. (Or maybe they are aware, but don’t care—which is a whole other issue.)

But that’s not the only type of invisible labor: There’s also emotional labor, and mental load. And while these terms are often used interchangeably, there are certain distinctions. Here’s what to know about the difference between emotional labor and mental load, and how to discuss both types with your partner.

What is emotional labor?

When sociologist Dr. Arlie Hochschild first introduced the concept of emotional labor in 1983, it referred to “regulating or managing emotional expressions with others as part of one’s professional work role,” according to Penn State’s Weld Lab.

But since then, the definition has expanded significantly beyond the workplace, to include personal relationships with friends, family members, and romantic partners. For instance, do you have someone in your life that always comes to you with their problems—or simply to complain—but never has the time or interest in doing the same for you? In that situation, you’re performing emotional labor.

What is mental load?

Mental load, on the other hand, encompasses a lot more: basically, all of the invisible and non-tangible tasks required to run a household, a post on Healthline explains.

So, maybe it never occurs to your partner that they should do the laundry on occasion, but they can see/feel/smell their newly cleaned clothes, so they should have a clue that something has to happen in order for those to appear.

The task of physically doing the laundry is one type of invisible labor. But all the thought and planning that goes into it—including remember to do the laundry in the first place—is mental load. The Healthline post provides a long list of other examples.

How to discuss emotional labor and mental load with your partner

Regardless of which type of invisible labor you find yourself bearing the brunt of (it may be all of them), this isn’t something you should be dealing with on your own. But, for a variety of reasons, this isn’t an easy conversation to have with a partner.

Or, maybe you’ve tried bringing it up in the past, and your partner counters with either: “I said I’m happy to help, if you just tell me what to do,” or “But I do X, Y, and Z every day!” (In case it’s not clear, figuring out what needs to be done and then assigning someone tasks is itself a type of mental load.)

Either way, here are some tips for approaching the subject that Dr. Melissa Estavillo, a licensed psychologist in Phoenix who specializes in couples counseling, shared with Healthline:

The conversation may have to happen multiple times for it to stick, and in some cases, a person’s partner may simply be unwilling to give up their position of privilege in the relationship (in which case a different conversation needs to happen). But if you think your partner is coming from a good place and genuinely doesn’t realize the extent of your labor, bringing it to their attention (in a kind way) may help.