10+ years playing, currently rebuilding my picking motion

Hey everyone, new member here!

I’d say I’m at a bit of a strange point in my guitar journey. I’ve been playing for around 10+ years, but most of that time I’ve been dealing with a lot of tension in my picking hand, so I don’t feel like I’ve really progressed in a stable way.

In terms of genres, I’m mostly into rock and metal, but right now I’m not focused on style as much as I am on fixing my picking motion and being able to play without tension.

I’ve mostly been self-taught, with some occasional guidance, but no long-term structured lessons.

Over the past 8 months I’ve been actively trying to rebuild my picking technique and reduce tension, but it’s been really difficult and honestly quite frustrating.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about technique and trying to “fix” things, which I now suspect might actually be part of the problem (too much control?).

Really glad to be here — any guidance or insights would be hugely appreciated.