Why do I feel so overwhelmed all the time? Why do I feel like I’m failing when I’m trying my best?

Hallo there Maddie, my name is Joanna and I am a qualified counsellor here at BetterHelp and I would like to thank you for reaching out to us here with your question which I have read closely.

First of all I would like to acknowledge how you're feeling, it is must be so frustrating to feel so overwhelmed all the time. I am also really sorry and concerned that you have been going through some difficult life events which must have been so painful for you.

I do know we can all feel that way at times and usually it can pass fairly quickly, however if the feeling persists it can lead to stress. I think it's really useful to begin to identify that it is what you are feeling and try not to fight against it. The concept of being overwhelmed is when you feel that you have too much to do and not enough mental energy to do it with. I wonder if in a session we could begin to have a look at what you feel you have to accomplish and maybe put these into a priority order? This act alone can help with organizing your own mind and so the stress levels can start to reduce somewhat.

There are a few things that you can start to consider the first one we have already identified, which is to define your priorities. Maybe working alongside another person to make a plan to address your priority that feels manageable and that you can feel excited about could help.

I would also want to consider managing your energy levels, what does your rest patterns and sleep patterns look like? Could we work on improving these so that your energy levels feel much more stable?

The act of cleaning your environment can be really beneficial as well. The simple act helps you to move your mind away from overwhelming feelings and focus on the present, there is also a benefit to having a clean environment that can encourage a better mood and frame of mind.

The delegation of tasks can also help with being overwhelmed. Are there others around you that can help with some of the work load that you have? 

Sometimes the art of learning to decline and saying No to others' demands can really help with these overwhelming feelings, it can take courage and practice to achieve but can free up time and space in your own mind.

I have only put a few suggestions here as I don't want to add to your overwhelm but I do hope we could continue the conversation together and gently unpick what has been going on for you and together work through and find some goals that you can feel proud of.

Please do take care

Warm wishes Joanna