Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 – Carrying On Doesn’t Mean You’re Coping

Prioritising mental health before burnout is so important for all of us. Mental Health Awareness Week is an important reminder not to put off looking after your mental and emotional well-being until things fall apart.

So many women become experts at carrying on.

We keep going no matter what, managing work, home, family, relationships, ageing parents, finances and a seemingly endless mental load. We become so used to functioning under pressure that stress starts to feel normal.

From the outside, everything might look ok. We show up. We smile. We answer messages. We support other people. We keep all the plates spinning.

If anyone asks how we are, we just say “fine”.

But underneath, many women are exhausted and running on anxiety and fumes.

One of the biggest problems with chronic stress is that it rarely starts out dramatically. It builds up slowly and quietly over time, so that we become used to it. We tell ourselves we are “just tired” or that things will calm down once life becomes less busy.

Research across the UK shows just how widespread stress and emotional overwhelm have become. A January 2026 report by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), reported in The Guardian newspaper, found that almost two-thirds of women aged over 50 were dealing with mental health issues.

Alarmingly, nine out of ten of these women did not seek help, feeling that they needed to hold it all together in silence.

Another report from Mental Health UK found that nine in ten adults experienced high or extreme levels of pressure or stress during the past year, with many continuing to work despite feeling emotionally exhausted.

There is often an unspoken belief, particularly amongst women, that we should simply cope. We push through exhaustion because other people rely on us. We minimise our feelings, telling ourselves we just need to get through this week, this month or this difficult period.

But our minds and bodies are not designed to stay in survival mode for long periods.

“No matter how long the night, the dawn will break”

African Proverb

When stress becomes chronic, it affects far more than just mood. It can impact concentration, memory, sleep, hormones, digestion, energy levels and physical health. Long-term stress has also been linked to anxiety, depression, cardiovascular problems and burnout.

Many women experience this as a constant feeling of being “on edge”. Even when there is finally time to relax, our nervous system struggles to switch off.

This is because chronic stress changes the way the body responds. Experts now talk about how the nervous system can become stuck in a prolonged state of activation, where stress becomes the body’s default setting.

This is one reason why simply telling yourself to “relax” often does not work.

Your body may be carrying unresolved stress, emotional pressure and mental overload beneath the surface, and you cannot just turn these off at will.

Midlife can intensify this even further. Hormonal changes, changing family roles, children leaving home, ageing parents, relationship shifts, grief, financial pressure, changing appearance and worries about the future can all place additional strain on emotional well-being.

So many women in midlife and beyond are holding everything together externally while suffering internally.

But sometimes these signs can be more subtle. You may experience brain fog, emotional numbness, overthinking, lack of motivation, struggle to experience joy or feel disconnected from yourself and your life.

Many women keep functioning for years in this state because they assume burnout only happens when they completely collapse.

But burnout is not always dramatic. Sometimes, it looks like waking up exhausted every day. Feeling emotionally flat. Losing interest in things you once enjoyed. Or feeling permanently overwhelmed by even small tasks.

The scary part is that chronic stress can become so familiar that we stop recognising it.

Regularly checking in with yourself is so important.

Not just asking, “What do I need to get done today?”

But asking, “How am I really feeling?”, “What is my body trying to tell me?”, “Where am I pushing myself too hard?”, “What support do I really need?”

Small daily acts really can make a difference, even if they seem insignificant at the time. Stepping outside for fresh air, resting properly, reducing overstimulation, talking openly, journalling, EFT Tapping and creating small moments of calm can all help.

The important thing is not to wait until crisis point before taking your mental well-being seriously.

Looking after your mental health is not selfish; it is essential.

You don’t need to earn rest by reaching burnout first.

And if you are finding things hard, please don’t be afraid to ask for support.

Your emotional and physical health matter far more than endlessly proving how far you can go alone.

You don’t have to suffer alone. Seeking help is a sign of strength.

Book a free call to see how EFT can support your mental well-being by helping you to release the stress and overwhelm holding you back.

Gently reset your nervous system with my EFT Reset. A ten-minute Tapping video and a five-minute relaxation audio for women feeling overwhelmed or emotionally drained.  It’s just £27 and you can use it over and over again.