I love my life and my cup is full but I’m drowning in shame for things left undone. How can I balance it all?
You are not the only one, advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith writes. It will help to ask whether you have a time problem or a bandwidth problem
TL;DR
- The author feels overwhelmed by unaddressed responsibilities like missed appointments and unread messages, despite a fulfilling life.
- Eleanor Gordon-Smith reassures the author that they are not alone in experiencing this overwhelm.
- The core issue might be a "bandwidth problem" rather than a "time problem," meaning the exhaustion and emotional cost of tasks prevent effective use of available time.
- Potential reasons for bandwidth problems include feelings of incompetence, fear of being consumed by others' demands, perfectionism, or screen overload.
- Strategies to manage overwhelm involve understanding the specific reasons for tasks feeling like burdens and finding ways to make them less emotionally expensive.