Emotional Exhaustion: Forcing Yourself To Be Strong

Emotional exhaustion is a state you end up in by overworking yourself. This form of exhaustion does not come due to work or school. It is about taking on conflicts, responsibilities or emotional / cognitive stimuli.

Emotional exhaustion does not come suddenly overnight. This is a slow process that gradually builds up until you completely collapse. The breakdown leads you into a state of paralysis, deep depression or chronic illness. It causes your life to totally collapse because you literally can no longer stand it.

Although you usually experience emotional exhaustion as if you are mentally tired, you will also want to experience that you are intensely physically tired. When it appears, you get a feeling of heaviness, a feeling that you can no longer. This is when you fall into a slowness that is not easy to get out of. 

The causes of emotional exhaustion

Emotional exhaustion occurs because there is an imbalance between what you give and receive. The types of people who suffer from this are the ones who give everything of themselves. It does not matter if it is at work, at home, in their relationship or elsewhere.

This usually happens in areas where there is a high level of requirements that also require a lot of sacrifice. For example, in a job where there is a high risk of dismissal. Or in a home full of people who demand a lot of attention. It can also happen when you are in a relationship with many conflicts and serious challenges.

What usually happens is that you do not have time for yourself when you are exhausted. It also means that you do not get the recognition , devotion or appreciation that you deserve. People expect you to “be on” all the time. It is as if you do not have your own needs, or as if they think you are strong and can handle everything.

First signs of emotional exhaustion

Before emotional exhaustion occurs, you will be able to see alarming signs. There are signs of the kind that you probably do not think much about. But you may be able to stop the exhaustion in time if you start paying attention to them.

These are early signs of emotional exhaustion:

• Physically tired. You are very often tired. From the moment you open your eyes, it will feel as if everything you go through that day is a little too much.
• Insomnia. Although it sounds strange, it is difficult to sleep if you are emotionally exhausted. You will constantly turn thoughts upside down in your head, which makes it difficult to sleep.
• You get annoyed and lose control of yourself quite often. When you are exhausted, you will be in a bad mood, and too sensitive to any criticism or signs of criticism.
• Lack of motivation. When you shop when you are emotionally exhausted, you like to shop mechanically. It is as if you have no choice but to do what you always do. You have no enthusiasm or interest in what you do.

• Emotional distancing. Your emotions begin to flatten out more and more. It’s like you do not really feel anything.
• Constant forgetfulness. Too much information and / or stimuli leads to some problems with your memory. You forget small things very easily.
• Problems thinking. It does not take much to confuse you. Almost everything takes longer than it usually does. You think things through very slowly.

How to get out of the emotional exhaustion

Of course, the best way to overcome emotional exhaustion is to rest. You need to find some free time to relax and calm down. People who demand too much of themselves, like to spend years without taking a vacation. This is not recommended. Sooner or later this will cause you to get very tired. It is therefore very important to give yourself time for a few days of rest.

Another way is to work on changing the attitude towards your daily commitments.

Every day should be structured so that you have time for your chores, in addition to resting and performing the activities that you enjoy. You should try to forget all your obsessions about perfection and finishing things.

Finally, it is very important to pay attention to yourself. There is no better way to do this than to give yourself time alone every day. Breathe, find yourself and what you want to achieve. In addition, you need to achieve an understanding and a good attitude towards yourself. If not, sooner or later you will not be able to keep going.