How do I cope when no one sees my work?

You do work that holds things together, and no one looks up to notice. Over time that quiet has turned into an ache. That ache is real, and it does not mean you are weak or needy. It means you are human and you want your effort to count for something. Here is the hard, freeing truth. The value of your work does not disappear because eyes are elsewhere. The systems run, the people are cared for, the thing gets done, because of you. Recognition would feel good, but it is not what makes the work matter. The work already matters. Try telling one person what you actually do. Not to fish for praise, but to be known. Say to a friend or coworker, here is the part no one sees. Being witnessed once, honestly, eases the ache more than applause ever could.