Feeling Like a Burden? Read How to Get Rid of These Dark Thoughts

 

Recovering from a traumatic event is a long process that often involves both mental and physical recovery. On your path to recovery, you may often worry that events in life might not just be taking a toll on yourself but also on those around you. You may start to feel like a burden. How to get rid of these dark thoughts? How to stop feeling like a burden?

This happened to me when I got back from the hospital. Of course, I was happy to be at home, even though adapting to the new ways of life wasn’t easy, and certainly not pain-free. From the start we tried to set up a routine; we drew a timetable for me so my husband could organise his workload around me. We would get up in the morning and he would help me with washing and getting dressed. He would then make me breakfast and later lunch and dinner. We would have those together – which was nice, but I’d see every day how busy and exhausted he was. I’d suggested that he should take some time off – from work and me. I didn’t want him to get overloaded and it was obvious that he needed some downtime. Who wouldn’t? He had some important deadlines to meet at work and was looking also after me. I was making progress, but it went slowly – as expected, given the level of pain I was still in. I couldn’t look after myself so started to feel like a burden.

Two girls holding each other's arm and the title is what to do when you feel like a burden on Journeyofsmiley blog
📸: unsplash @priscilladupreez

Feeling like a Burden 

 With the busy schedule of my hubby, his care for me, my feelings of being a burden…it all became too much. It was my first weekend back home when I called him to come in from his home office where he worked on his deadline as I needed help. When he came to help me, it was obvious that work wasn’t going as he would wish. He’d had enough and I wasn’t of much help either. It didn’t need much before we both lost control – he was exhausted, and I felt like a burden.

It was my first weekend back home and we were both tired and exhausted. I was in pain and he had too much on his shoulders. I just couldn’t help myself. The feeling of being a burden was so strong. It was an awful feeling. It was growing inside me ever since I got back from the hospital. I had this feeling already in the hospital. I apologised to a nurse for being such a pain. However, her kind words reassured me that they are there to help me and I slowly got used to accepting help from others. Nevertheless, I had enough by the time I got home. I wanted to be able to do things for myself independently. It wasn’t my husband’s job to look after me or was it? I am not a feminist, but I just wanted to be an independent woman again. I didn’t want to be a burden.

The truth is, however, that we can’t always do everything alone. God did not design us to carry our burden alone. We just simply can’t juggle life’s hardships without God. So we really need to rely on God, he is here for us every time.

a couple holding each other's heads, hugging each other in black and white photo and red coloured letters quote the burden becomes lighter when it is shared by love, photo by Sarah Kover, on www.journeyofsmiley.com
📸: Sarah Kover

The burden becomes lighter when it is shared by love

Yet, despite the knowledge that God loves us, and his love is unconditional, it is still very easy to slip into the feeling of being a burden. However, realising it allows us to start to act. The first step is to talk about it, to communicate it. Don’t rob someone of the opportunity to help you carry your burden. Reach out to family, friends, a counsellor, or a pastor. Speak to God, tell him what your burdens are, cry out in prayer. It is essential to do so.


As it turned out it felt good to talk and open up about it to my husband. I didn’t expect the reaction I got from him. My hubby came closer to me and gave me a hug. I needed this hug so much. He pulled me closer and started to smile: “You silly one, I love you, we are married. Remember the words ‘in good and in bad?’ Yes, it’s a hard time right now but it doesn’t mean that helping you bothers me. Not once have I said anything about having to help you… Yes, I wasn’t in my best mood today and it has been a very busy week but I’m here for you because I want to. Because this is what marriage is about. I’m sure you would have done the same for me. No one said the next few months would be easy, but things will get easier as you make progress in your recovery. We’ll get there” and he is right, we’ll get there because of love.

You are not a burden quote on a pink background on Journeyofsmiley blog

Feeling like a burden? Remember, you are not!

Thereupon if you feel that you’re a burden know that you are not. You’re a human being, a child of God. Know that you aren’t a burden; you have a burden. You carry your burden as a result of what has happened to you. After all, you haven’t chosen to have it. Doing your best is therefore all you can do. It is important to take every step as it comes. You need to give yourself realistic goals you strive to achieve and progress. You are doing the best you can – your closest ones know it, and you know it too! Don’t slap yourself in the face every time you feel like a burden. You aren’t, so get rid of those dark thoughts and concentrate on doing your best. Perhaps watching my video on TikTok or IG will help you with it too!

With love you will get through it – love from others, from God and yourself. And this is important – be kind to yourself and focus on the positives in your life and on your achievements. This will help you to feel less like a burden as each day passes. Your closest want to have you in their lives. They love you, even in these hard times, they would be devastated without you. They would miss you if they didn’t have you around and wouldn’t want to trade the days with you for anything.

A woman standing on a beach and covering her face with her hands, looking up to dark clouds and title 'Feeling like a burden?' Get rid of these dark thoughts on Journeyofsmiley blog
📸: unsplash @averieclaire

This works against these dark thoughts

Now it’s up to you to love yourself as much as your closest ones love you. Nothing else helps against those negative thoughts more than love. Give yourself a hug. Hug yourself – place your right hand under your left arm so you can feel your heart and your left hand on your right shoulder, take a deep breath and remain so for a few seconds. Every time I do it, I feel this soothing effect. It helps me to accept myself as I am. I feel connected with myself, with God and it also enables me to see the brighter side of life. So why not try it? Surely, you are worth it!

Do you struggle with the feeling that you’re a burden? What does help you to avoid feeling that way? Let’s share in a comment below.

Thank you and till the next blog post,


Follow Journeyofsmiley on WordPress.com

If you like what I do, please support me on Ko-fi

44 thoughts on “Feeling Like a Burden? Read How to Get Rid of These Dark Thoughts”

  1. Thank you for this article! I think it's absolutely important to spread this article around bc even people who fell sick during COVID feel guilty about getting sick when the disease seems to miss others. Thank you! Will be sharing to my communities in Eswatini

  2. Thank you! Yes, I know that feeling…but then we have to think that if it would be the other way round we would do the same for others in need…

  3. What a beautiful blog post. I can relate alot after having a traumatic birth experience ending in an emergency c section and 6 days hospital stay. It's safe to say I needed support yet felt like a burden xxx

  4. Thank you, really appreciated. Yes, life is tough but so are we…we just need to learn to accept help that is offered to us and don't feel guilty about it and love ourselves…

  5. Thank you for this positive and up lifting post. It is so fitting right now given the climate of the world and what people are going through. Thank you so much for sharing.

  6. Definitely, we are so grateful to have them in our lives and we need to love ourselves just like their love us! Thank you for your comment and sharing your experience:)

  7. I love this post so much! As someone living with IBD I've had several surgeries and had to rely on the help of others during recovery time. It is easy to fall into the trap of feeling like a burden and trying to speed up your recovery. I still have a hard time asking for help, but being with a loving and caring partner makes a HUGE difference.

  8. Thank you for this article! I think it's absolutely important to spread this article around bc even people who fell sick during COVID feel guilty about getting sick when the disease seems to miss others. Thank you! Will be sharing to my communities in Eswatini

  9. Thank you, really appreciated. Yes, life is tough but so are we…we just need to learn to accept help that is offered to us and don't feel guilty about it and love ourselves…

  10. Thanks for sharing this! I’m sorry you’ve felt this way but definitely makes me feel less alone to know I’m not the only one with these dark thoughts! I used to constantly apologize, and still sometimes do (I actually just published a post about how to stop over-apologizing) to my fiance for like basically jus existing, and he always says back ‘please just let me love you!’ which means the world and I am working on, but it’s just a nice reminder that I’m not a burden (even though it’s of course not always easy to believe him because that’s just who I am.). I’ve had to stay in a few involuntary mental hospitals and that’s always when II felt like the biggest burden to everyone, to your point – even feeling like a burden to the nurses who simply had to give me my meds. Thanks for being so open and helping others feel less alone!

  11. Thank you for this. I am going in for surgery in a couple of weeks and I am worried about needing so much help. I don’t ask for help well and always feel guilty because I am usually the one helping. It is great to remember to think about why I help others and I don’t see them as a burden… I need to allow others to bless me too. It’s so hard!

  12. This is a great post! I often find myself feeling like a burden due to my illness. It’s hard not to at times when you are used to being independent and getting stuff done!! It’s good to have these reminders and I love the hug yourself bit at the end!! Thank you!!!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *