Humans like to collect things.
Some people collect stamps, coins, or memorabilia. Others collect movies, games, and toys.
But even if you don’t think you’re collecting anything, there is one thing you are collecting every single day.
Everybody does it. We collect the mental crap that we have to go through.
We like to think about our mental health as a bag.
Day by day, you keep stuffing more items into it—bills, deadlines, past arguments, regrets—all the mental and emotional clutter we accumulate. This metaphoric bag gets heavier with each added item, until one day, it’s just too much for us to take anymore. The bag is past full and now all the crap that it’s in the bag is about to come flooding out into our life. And it’s not like we can always plan where the bag overflows.
So before we reach that breaking point, it’s crucial to lighten our load.
Lightening the Load
Ignoring the weight doesn’t lighten it. Over time, an overloaded bag leads to chronic stress, which can manifest as mental health issues like anxiety and depression, or even physical symptoms such as headaches and fatigue. The emotional spill-over can affect personal relationships and professional performance, creating a cycle that’s hard to break without intervention.
Our mental “bag” often contains lingering regrets from past decisions, unresolved conflicts with friends or family, or anxiety about the future. Unlike physical objects, emotional burdens aren’t always visible to the naked eye. But that doesn’t make them any less real or heavy.
So how do we deal with the sh*t in our bags? We have to unload it somewhere. And how do we even go about unloading it without destroying anything in the process?
You can start by setting aside time for self-reflection—identify which burdens can be let go and which need more attention. But more importantly, you need a safe place to unload your stresses. Some people find their family as a safe space, but far too often the weight of our struggles can end up hurting them. Which is often why we don’t share. Which is why therapy or counseling offices are immensely valuable places. And seeking therapy or counseling can help you navigate through the contents of your bag, sort them, and decide how to handle them.
Here’s something we have found in our years of counseling: managing life’s burdens isn’t meant to be a solitary journey. And that’s why we’re here to help.
If any of this has connected with you, you’re more than welcome to come sit by our fireplace and chat. At Rising Sun Counseling Center, we believe in lightening loads together, offering a space where you can unpack your bag without judgment and with plenty of support. We’d love to listen and help you find a way to walk through life a bit lighter.
