Why Do I Feel Like A Burden?
The feeling of being a burden is pretty common. Research shows that nearly half of Americans feel this way sometimes. These feelings can really mess with our physical health and overall happiness.
People who see themselves as burdens often say they’re less happy and healthy. This view makes them think badly about themselves, feel helpless and hopeless, and believe they can’t control what happens in their lives.
Feeling like a burden is also linked to a higher chance of getting depression and anxiety. It can lead to overeating, drinking too much, smoking, using drugs, and other harmful behaviors.
Many folks might not realize how often they feel like a burden. They might think it only happens when they’re sick or need a lot of help.
But if we look closer, we see that a lot of people feel like a burden all the time.
Maybe you’re having a hard time getting through the day, and you feel like no one gets why you’re so tired or why you can’t stop crying. Or maybe you’re worried about money, work, school, or relationships.
So why do I feel like a burden? You might feel this way because you’re dealing with an addiction. Or maybe you have a long-term illness like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, or arthritis. Or maybe life’s challenges just feel overwhelming.
How to Stop Feeling Like a Burden
No matter what’s stressing you out, here are some ways to deal with feeling like a burden:
How To Not Feel Like a Burden: Get Support From Others
If you’re feeling like a burden, you’re probably feeling alone too. Talking to someone who knows you well can really help. A friend, family member, counselor, therapist, coach, or pastor can offer understanding and compassion. If you’re dealing with a long-term condition, looking into effective therapies for chronic sufferers can be helpful.
Find A Way To Take Care Of Yourself
We often feel guilty for needing help. So we try to ignore what we need. But that doesn’t work well. Instead, try to find a healthy balance between taking care of yourself and helping others. One way to boost your well-being is to learn about exercises that give you a mental health boost.
Change Your Perspective
But I feel like a burden to everyone! Instead of seeing yourself as a burden, try to think of yourself as someone who helps others. Think about how you could be helpful to others right now. Sometimes, understanding why therapy doesn’t work for everyone can change how you think about getting help.
Focus On The Positive
It’s easy to focus on the bad stuff in life, but there are many reasons to celebrate. Look for the good things in your life. Remind yourself of your strengths and what you’ve accomplished.
Practice Gratitude
Think about everything you have to be thankful for. Even though you might feel like a burden sometimes, you still have many blessings.
Why Do I Feel Like A Burden?
Here are some common reasons people might feel like a burden:
– We don’t know how to ask for help when we really need it.
– We’re struggling with money and find it hard to ask for financial help.
– We feel like we’re taking up too much space.
– We feel like we’re wasting other people’s time.
– We let others carry the load for us.
When you ask someone why they feel like a burden, they might say something like, “I don’t want to impose on anyone.” Or, “I don’t want to take advantage of other people.” Or, they might feel like they’re bothering someone.
If you feel like a burden, you might need to make some changes.
You might feel like you’re imposing on other people. You might think you’re taking advantage of them and feel selfish.
But here’s the thing: You can never be a burden if you’re doing what you love and helping others. It’s almost impossible.
When you feel like a burden, it can really mess with your mental and emotional health. These feelings can pop up in all sorts of situations, from personal relationships to work. Understanding why you feel this way is key to feeling better and valuing yourself more.
If you’re feeling like a burden, it often means you’re carrying a lot of guilt. Guilt is one of the most destructive emotions out there. It stops you from living freely and enjoying life.
Guilt makes you worry about all kinds of things. You think about how much money you owe, or how many times you’ve been late with a payment.
Guilt makes you feel bad about everything you do. If you feel guilty, you’ll always feel bad about yourself and never feel good.
If you feel guilty, there will always be an excuse for not doing what you should be doing. So, when you feel guilty, you need to stop thinking about all those negative thoughts.
You need to learn to forgive yourself. Forgiveness is the key to freedom. Forgive yourself for every mistake you’ve made.
Forgive yourself for every time you haven’t done what you should have done. And forgive yourself for any mistakes you might make in the future.
The more you forgive yourself, the less you’ll feel like a burden, and the less guilt you hold onto, the happier you’ll become. Learn to let go of guilt. Learn to forgive yourself.
Why Do I Feel Guilty?
Have you ever felt like you’re a burden on your family or friends? If yes, then you might be feeling guilty. Guilt is when you feel bad about something you did or didn’t do. It makes us feel bad about ourselves and our actions.
Guilt often comes with other negative feelings like shame, anger, fear, sadness, and blaming yourself. Sometimes, guilt can even cause depression.
People who feel guilty a lot tend to be perfectionists, anxious, and insecure. They also tend to have low self-esteem. But you don’t have to suffer from guilt forever. There are ways to overcome it. And remember, your existence isn’t bothering or taxing anyone. Most of this is in your head. Take some time to work on yourself.
Wrapping It Up
Try not to compare yourself to others. Remember that everyone has different priorities in life. Some people have more free time than you do; others have more money than you do.
So don’t worry if you’re not as active as you’d like to be.
Instead, focus on what you’re doing well. For example, you might be able to get up earlier than most people to exercise before work.
It’s important to remember that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. If you feel like you’re carrying too much responsibility, try to take some time to think about what you can improve.
You could also talk with a counselor about how you feel.
Author: Michelle Landeros, LMFT
Michelle Landeros is a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist (LMFT). She is passionate about helping individuals, couples and families thrive.