'Unpack' means to take things out of a package or temporary storage like a luggage bag. Usually to put them in their proper place. This phrase often is used in relation to personal problems people are discussing, often as a subtle way to indicate there's baggage involved in the
conversation or issue that needs to be
broken down and evaluated.
The phrase can be used when there is a lot of
information to process or problems to solve. It's a response provided by a person asking the other to slow down and give time to sort out what they've been given.
"Okay Angel, you just gave an hour-long monologue about how your girlfriend dumped you
because you can't hold a job to pay your car loan,
your mommy issues, getting fired, and your confusion which pronoun you want to be called. There's a lot to unpack here."
"Look Karen, you can't just hand me a 30-page document that I've never seen, then demand I give you an answer why it's messed up. Especially when you expect the answer in
less than three minutes. There's a lot to unpack here."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! There's a lot to unpack here!"
