The Invisible Backpack Exercise

A 10-minute reflection that changes how you see yourself and the people around you.

Most of us walk through life carrying things no one else can see.

Responsibilities. Pressure. Health challenges. Grief. Expectations. Quiet worries that sit in the background of our days.

I sometimes describe it this way: we are all walking through life wearing an invisible backpack full of bricks.

From the outside, people see someone standing there. What they don’t see is the weight on that person’s shoulders.

When I talk about this idea during a keynote, the room usually goes very quiet. You can almost feel people realizing something at the same moment:

Every single person in the room is probably carrying something invisible.

Today I want to share a short reflection exercise that I sometimes use in workshops. It only takes about ten minutes, and it has a way of shifting how people see themselves and the people around them.

Take a piece of paper or open a blank note.

At the top, write this question:

“What might be inside my invisible backpack right now?”

Now make a simple list. Don’t overthink it.

Write down whatever feels real in this moment.

Work stress. Caregiving responsibilities. Health concerns. Financial pressure. Big decisions. Small worries that keep tapping you on the shoulder.

Everyone’s list will look different.

That’s the point.

We are all carrying different bricks.

And the next part of this exercise is where people usually have their biggest realization.