 You know the feeling, an inner exhaustion that doesn't go away after a day or two. You're missing your inner spark; you lack the energy and enthusiasm that makes you want to dive into your day. You're not depressed, but you feel a sense of inner tiredness and you're finding it hard to get motivated. These are symptoms of being emotionally drained, and the impact can reach across all areas of your life. In order to regain your emotional energy and equilibrium, you need to know what's causing the problem. Here are five common reasons for why you feel emotionally drained. 1. You're battling multiple life challenges. Challenges, big and small, are part of life. Most of us have the ability to cope with these challenges when they arrive spaced-out, with adequate time to recover in-between. However, it becomes more difficult to cope when we find ourselves being hit with multiple challenges back-to-back. With so much going on all at once, you may feel as if you have no opportunity to regain your footing, and this can leave you feeling beaten down and emotionally drained. 2. You're dealing with the aftermath of a crisis. You were facing a major crisis, you managed to get through it, and now it's all finally behind you. But instead of feeling better, you feel completely drained. During the crisis, the body's most primal instincts kick-in. Your sole focus is on doing whatever it takes to get through the situation without falling apart. Once the event passes, you reach a point where your body and mind recognize that the crisis has passed and you're in the clear. As you exit the "fight or flight" state you were in, your body begins to shift gears, focusing on recovery and replenishment. Alongside a sense of relief, it's normal to also feel drained and depleted at this point. 3. You're struggling with boredom. Everything is going well in your life, and you're fortunate not to be dealing with any major problems or issues. Yet your energy is down and it's a chore to get through the day. If this describes your situation, you may be stuck in a rut and feeling emotionally drained due to boredom. It's important to have activities in your life that you find engaging and stimulating. Activities that draw you in, keep you alert, and give you something to look forward to each day. This builds you up, and helps keep you healthy and energized. 4. You're mired in relationship conflicts. Occasional disagreements and upsets are a normal part of close relationships. The key is having the skills to work through these situations in a healthy, constructive way, so you resolve issues while avoiding unnecessary damage. If effective conflict resolution skills are lacking and your closest relationships are characterized by constant or unresolved conflict, this becomes emotionally draining to deal with. Even if other aspects of your life are going well, you're going to feel the impact of all the unresolved conflict. 5. You're caught up in negative thought patterns. What are your day-to-day routine thinking patterns like? Do you:
This kind of thinking can drag you down and drain you emotionally. It can also cause you to feel insecure and badly about yourself, impacting how you carry yourself and move through life. It takes some work to change negative thought patterns, especially when those thought patterns are connected to deeper issues or a skewed set of foundational beliefs. Start the process by becoming more aware of your thoughts throughout the day. Question where your thoughts are coming from, and whether your perceptions and assumptions are entirely accurate. Make a conscious effort to focus on healthier, more constructive thoughts (writing things out in a journal can help.) As you change your thoughts, your feelings will also be impacted. Conclusion If you find yourself feeling emotionally drained for an extended period, don't ignore it. Be honest with yourself about what's going on in your life, so you can identify what's at the root of how you're feeling. Image Credit: Not_online_anymore from Pixabay Comments are closed.
|
Inspiration for Living Well
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed