People With Too Much To Do & Not Enough Help Often Say 8 Phrases Without Even Realizing It
LightField Studios / Shutterstock Feeling alone can often amplify feelings of stress, so it’s no wonder someone with too much to do and not enough help feels the burden of burnout more intensely than everyone else.
When someone feels the weight of the world on their shoulders at pretty much all times, it's easy to begin feeling debilitated by the workload. Desperate to somehow manage it all and probably running on far too little sleep, they may find themselves saying things under their breath (or even quite loudly) that reflect their absolutely overwhelming state of being.
People with way too much to do and not enough help to do it all tend to say these phrases without even knowing they're saying them:
1. ‘I don’t know where to start’
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Many people with a ton on their plates sabotage their time and productivity by trying to multitask. They exhaust their brains by constantly switching tasks and either end up missing the mark on everything they’re doing or feeling too overwhelmed to make real progress on anything.
This feeling of uncertainty and even a lack of motivation tends to bubble up for someone with too much on their plate to handle. That’s why delegating when they can and focusing their energy on one big thing are important for their well-being. They have to figure out how to protect their energy so they can prioritize and complete things instead of feeling too overwhelmed to start at all.
2. ‘I never get anywhere’
While decision paralysis when there are a million potential options or outcomes can commonly be associated with ADHD, if someone’s completely overwhelmed with obligations, they may experience something similar. They don’t know where to start and feel too overwhelmed mentally to focus their attention on one thing.
Especially for someone who doesn’t have the help they need to thrive, it can feel like they’re in a hamster wheel where they’re never actually making progress. They finish something and feel just a few seconds of relief before they have to jump right back into action on the next.
3. ‘I feel like I’m missing something’
Especially for someone without a system to manage all their obligations, taking on the mental load of remembering everything they need to do and when they need to complete it all can be a full-time job in and of itself. They’re stressing themselves out even when they’re doing nothing, sabotaging their space for rest when they have pockets of time to indulge in it.
Feeling like you're missing something is a common manifestation of that inner turmoil. It’s not a tangible list of to-dos that they can’t manage on their own, but a mind filled with competing demands and issues that they aren’t sure how to handle or even ask for help with.
4. ‘I’m not strong enough to do this’
If someone’s struggling in silence or suffering from burnout without any support in their life, self-criticism can follow them into interactions with other people. They say they're not strong enough to do it or they're failing at life, believing that there’s something inherently wrong with them for feeling overwhelmed, when in reality, their plates are just too full.
It's particularly common for women dealing with a million different invisible tasks and so much physical and emotional labor that they may start shaming and blaming themselves for not being the perfect person, when in reality, their workload is just impossible.
5. ‘I don’t have another choice’
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You can spot someone suffering under the weight of their obligations by the hopelessness they express. It’s a reminder that they feel alone, and also that they’re the only person keeping the show running, whether they’re a single mother or an employee who feels exclusively responsible for a specialized project at work.
Responding to genuine sympathy by saying you don't have any other choice is a subconscious way to seek support. They need another person or set of hands to manage their responsibilities, but feel stuck in a position of authority where they don’t know how to delegate or say no.
6. ‘I’ll figure it out’
It’s often people-pleasing folks or people who have a tendency to wrap up their productivity with their self-worth who end up saying yes to things they can’t realistically do. Whether it’s at work or at home, they tend to wear themselves out taking on too much, instead of delegating or saying no when they’re at their breaking point.
They might feel more secure in themselves with a full plate or a list of people who need them, but in reality, that feeling of importance is masking a much bigger struggle by keeping themselves busy.
7. ‘That’s easy for you to say’
Envy and unhealthy comparisons can quickly slip into casual conversations when someone is emotionally drained and completely burnt out. They get irritable with friends who have partners at home helping with household labor or even co-workers who don’t seem to have the same workloads.
The stress and burnout sabotage their ability to manage their emotions, and saying things like this only ends up isolating them even further.
8. ‘I can’t handle this pressure’
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Plenty of people have incredibly stressful workloads and a ton of obligations, but it’s often those with little support or help who say they can't handle the pressure. They feel alone, and phrases like this remind them they carry the weight of the world on their shoulders.
While others can share the burden of responsibility with co-workers, partners, friends, and family, these people’s loneliness only amplifies their stress.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
