You take on more than you should—because you feel like you should. You stay late to fix someone else’s mistakes, pick up extra work without being asked, and shoulder responsibilities that aren’t yours. And even when you’re exhausted, there’s a voice in your head whispering: ‘If I don’t do it, who will?’
For professionals in fast paced industries, guilt is a constant companion. You’ve built your career on reliability, on being the person others can count on. But somewhere along the way, that sense of responsibility turned into something heavier—a belief that you must carry the load, or everything will fall apart. Over time, this guilt doesn’t just shape how you work; it shapes who you are.
The more you take on, the harder it becomes to stop. Saying no feels selfish. Asking for help feels weak. And because you’re the one who “can handle it,” others start expecting more, even without realizing it. The weight grows heavier, and soon, the work that once made you feel capable now makes you feel trapped. The worst part? Even when you wantto step back, the guilt won’t let you.
This week in therapy, a client shared: “I feel like I have to hold everything together. At work, at home, in my family—I’m the one who picks up the slack. But I’m so tired. And the second I even think about setting a boundary, I feel guilty, like I’m letting everyone down.”
They described how this guilt seeped into every part of their life—staying late at work, fixing problems that weren’t theirs, always making sure everyone else was okay before considering their own needs. And yet, despite doing everything for others, they still felt like they weren’t doing enough.
Through therapy, we worked on separating responsibility from guilt—understanding that being capable doesn’t mean being obligated. We introduced small, intentional boundary-setting strategies, like pausing before saying yes and asking, “Is this truly mine to solve?”
They also practiced tolerating discomfort—the feeling of guilt that comes with stepping back—without immediately rushing to fix it. With time, they began to see that their worth wasn’t measured by how much they carried for others, but by how they took care of themselves, too.
If you constantly feel like you have to carry the load for others, it’s not just about time management—it’s about learning to let go of guilt. In my 1:1 therapy sessions, we’ll work together to help you set healthy boundaries, manage guilt without caving to it, and reclaim your energy without feeling like you’re letting anyone down.
