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Dr Libby (PhD): The Invisible Load & How To Carry It Differently | Episode 167
Description
“What we carry each day might not change, but the way we carry it can.” - Dr Libby (PhD)
What are you carrying that no one else can see?
In this episode of The School of Wellbeing podcast, Meg Durham is joined by Dr Libby (PhD) to explore The Invisible Load: A Guide to Overcoming Stress and Overwhelm.
Together, they unpack the hidden weight many people carry each day. The thoughts, responsibilities, expectations and emotional load that often go unseen but have a significant impact on energy, wellbeing and how people show up.
They explore why stress is not just about what is happening externally, but how it is interpreted and responded to. The conversation highlights the pressure many feel to be seen as capable, kind and responsible, and how this can quietly add to the load they carry. Dr Libby also shares practical ways to begin to lighten that load through awareness, small shifts and self-understanding.
This conversation will feel close to home for many people working in education because so much of the role is invisible. The emotional labour, the decision making and the constant care for others.
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Chapter Markers:
- 00:00 What is the invisible load?
- 04:30 Why we create stress and how perception shapes our experience
- 10:00 The pressure to be seen as capable, kind and responsible
- 18:00 Why we say yes when we mean no
- 25:00 The invisible load in the body, energy and nutrition
- 33:00 Forward words and hidden expectations
- 41:00 Lightening the load and shifting how we carry it
- 48:00 What changes when the load feels lighter
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Reflection Prompts:
- I am doing my best to juggle…
- One invisible rule I am living by is…
- I will give myself permission to...
- Right now, I need…
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Episode 167 Shownotes - Click here
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Dr Libby - Website | LinkedIn | Book | Instagram
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Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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Speaker Booking - Complete the booking form to start the conversation.
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Your Questions Answered:
What invisible load do educators carry?
The invisible load educators carry is the mental, emotional and physical weight that sits behind the visible work of teaching. It includes the constant thinking, planning, anticipating and decision making, alongside the emotional labour of supporting students, managing behaviour, communicating with families and caring deeply about outcomes.
It also includes what happens beneath the surface. The pressure to be seen as capable and in control, the responsibility of holding multiple needs at once, and the quiet worries that follow educators beyond the classroom. For many, it is not just the workload, but the ongoing sense of responsibility and care that makes the load feel heavy.
What makes this load particularly significant is that much of it goes unseen and unspoken, yet it shapes energy, wellbeing and how educators show up ea