Questioning Eternal Punishment and Divine Mercy, assalamu alaikum

Assalamu alaikum, everyone. Lately I’ve been struggling with the idea of eternal punishment in Hell. Allah introduces Himself at the start of every surah as Ar‑Rahman and Ar‑Rahim, yet the thought of endless torment feels, to me, disproportionately harsh given our short, limited lives. Even as a finite human, I find it hard to reconcile that level of severity with the mercy I was taught and that I feel in my own heart. I also worry about people who sincerely sought truth but may have lacked the opportunity, intellect, or guidance and died confused or misguided. The Qur’an’s descriptions of Jahannam are very severe, and thinking that anyone-including possibly myself-could end up there forever makes me very uneasy. So my question is this: if a limited human like me finds the notion of eternal punishment hard to accept, how should I understand it in relation to Allah’s perfect mercy? I know Allah is beyond full human comprehension and that trying to fully grasp His wisdom is difficult, but He chose to reveal His names and attributes so we can relate to Him. If He taught us about mercy and even placed mercy within our hearts, how do we reconcile that with the concept of an everlasting Hell? I’m not looking for a polished theological answer, just thoughts or reflections from people who’ve grappled with this. Jazakum Allahu khairan.