Mum looking after two children You work and feel guilty that you're not with your children. You spend time with your children and wonder whether you should be doing something more productive. You arrange activities and worry they're overscheduled. You let them have a quiet day at home and wonder whether you're doing enough with them. You lose your patience and feel terrible. You take time for yourself and spend half of it feeling guilty that you're not with your family. Whate

Woman sitting down but can't relax Things are going well. The children are okay. Work is manageable. Your relationship feels settled. There isn't an obvious crisis to deal with. But instead of enjoying the calm, part of you is waiting. What if something goes wrong? Perhaps you find yourself imagining accidents, illness, problems with the children or something going wrong at work. Maybe the fear isn't even that specific. It's simply a feeling in the background that things are

Women pondering why she is unhappy You have people you love. Perhaps you have a comfortable home, healthy children, a good relationship, financial security or a career you've worked hard for. You know there are people facing circumstances far more difficult than yours. You know you're fortunate. And yet, something still doesn't feel right. Maybe you feel flat, restless or disconnected. Perhaps you're going through the motions of everyday life without really enjoying it. Then

mum ponders if she has lost her identity in becoming a mum You love being their mum. But sometimes you miss you. The person you were before your days revolved around school runs, meals, appointments, activities, washing, work and remembering what everybody needs. Perhaps someone asks what you enjoy doing and you struggle to answer. Or you finally get some time to yourself and realise you don't actually know what you want to do with it. You might look at old photographs and re

Successful professional woman reflecting on self-worth, confidence and the pressure to achieve. You can be successful and still doubt yourself. You can have a good career, a comfortable life, a family, friendships and achievements you're proud of — and still privately wonder whether you're good enough. From the outside, this can be difficult to understand. Other people might see someone confident, capable and accomplished. They may even come to you for advice because you alwa

Woman feeling anxious despite life appearing calm and settled Life is okay. Your family is okay. Work might be going well. There isn't a major crisis happening and, from the outside, there may be very little to worry about. But you still feel anxious. Perhaps you wake with a feeling of dread that you can't explain. You find it difficult to relax, your mind is constantly thinking ahead, or there's a vague sense that something isn't quite right. Then another thought appears: "W

Mum feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by the emotional and mental demands of motherhood. You can love your children more than anything and still find being a mum overwhelming. You can feel incredibly grateful for your family and still crave time alone. You can enjoy motherhood and sometimes miss the person you were before everyone needed something from you. These things can exist together. Yet many mums find it difficult to admit when they're struggling. There can be an expec

Woman thinking about a past conversation The conversation finished hours ago. Perhaps nothing particularly dramatic happened. You chatted to another parent at school, spoke during a meeting, had dinner with friends or sent somebody a message. But your mind hasn't moved on. Why did I say that? Did that sound stupid? Was she annoyed with me? I should have said something different. Maybe I talked too much. You replay the conversation, analysing your words and the other person's

Woman feeling mentally exhausted by the invisible load of managing everyday life and family responsibilities You haven't had a particularly difficult day. Nothing major has gone wrong. From the outside, life looks fine. So why are you so tired? Perhaps you wake up already thinking about what needs to happen that day. Before you've even got out of bed, you're mentally checking schedules, remembering appointments, planning meals and thinking about the things you didn't finish y

Successful woman feeling overwhelmed by the pressure of balancing work, family and everyday responsibilities From the outside, you might look like you're doing well. You have a career you've worked hard for, a family, a home, friendships and a busy social life. Perhaps you're the person who remembers the appointments, organises the holidays, replies to the emails, keeps everything moving and somehow manages to be there when somebody needs you. You're capable. Dependable. Succ

Mum looking after everyone else before herself You know when everyone else's appointments are. You notice when your partner is stressed. You remember what the children need. You check in on friends who are struggling and make sure everyone around you is okay. But when somebody asks what you need, you might struggle to answer. For some women, looking after other people comes so naturally that they barely notice they're doing it. Being caring, thoughtful and dependable can be w

woman thinking why can't my mind switch off? You finally get into bed after a busy day. Everything is done — or at least everything that can be done today. This should be the moment you relax. Instead, your brain starts: Did I reply to that email? What do I need to remember tomorrow? Why did I say that earlier? What if I've forgotten something? I really need to sort that out. Perhaps your mind feels as though it is constantly working. Even when you're physically resting, you'

Woman experiencing anxiety and wondering why she feels anxious even when life appears to be going well Sometimes anxiety has an obvious cause. You have an important meeting coming up, you're worried about your relationship, something is happening with your family or you're facing a period of uncertainty. But sometimes anxiety is much harder to explain. Life might actually be going quite well, yet you still feel on edge. Your mind won't switch off. You overthink conversations,

On paper, your life might look good. Perhaps you have a comfortable home, a career you're proud of, a partner, children, friendships or financial security. You may have achieved many of the things you once imagined would make you happy. Other people might even look at your life and think you have everything. So why don't you feel happier? And perhaps, almost as soon as you acknowledge that question, another feeling appears: guilt. I should be grateful. Other people have much

Have you ever said yes to something when you really wanted to say no? Perhaps you agree to plans when you're exhausted, take on more than you have time for, or find yourself worrying that you've upset someone simply because you've expressed a different opinion. You might be the person everyone describes as helpful, caring and easy-going. But underneath, you may feel overwhelmed, resentful or exhausted from constantly considering everybody else's needs before your own. If this

Sometimes, people begin therapy because of something happening in their lives right now — anxiety, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, feeling overwhelmed, or simply a sense that something isn't quite right. It can be surprising when, as they start exploring these difficulties, experiences from much earlier in life begin to feel relevant. You may find yourself wondering: Why am I still affected by something that happened years ago? Shouldn't I be over this by now? O

Have you ever wondered why certain things in relationships affect you so strongly? Perhaps you become anxious when someone seems distant. You find it difficult to trust people, even when they haven't given you a reason not to. Maybe you avoid conflict, struggle to express what you need, or find yourself repeatedly drawn into relationships that leave you feeling hurt or unimportant. Sometimes our reactions in adult relationships make more sense when we look at what we've learn

Deciding whether to start therapy can feel like a big step. You might find yourself wondering whether what you're experiencing is "bad enough" for therapy, whether you should be able to manage things on your own, or even what you would talk about if you did see a therapist. The truth is, you don't need to be at breaking point to benefit from therapy. People come to therapy for many different reasons. Sometimes something specific has happened — a relationship has ended, anxiet

Did I say the wrong thing? What if something goes wrong? Why haven't they replied? What if I've made the wrong decision? If your mind has a habit of turning one small thought into an endless stream of questions, possibilities and worst-case scenarios, you're not alone. Overthinking can be exhausting. You might replay conversations long after they've finished, spend hours worrying about things that haven't happened yet, or find yourself analysing decisions that other people se

I'm not good enough. Everyone else seems to have it together. I'm going to mess this up. They'll realise I'm not as capable as they think I am. If thoughts like these feel familiar, you may be experiencing low self-esteem. Low self-esteem isn't always obvious. You can appear confident, capable and successful to other people while privately questioning yourself constantly. You might work hard, maintain relationships, care for other people and achieve the things you thought wou