There’s exhaustion, and there’s emotional exhaustion.

You might be experiencing emotional exhaustion right now. I am noticing it in clients, friends and myself. So I thought you might need a few resources and ideas to understand it and heal, or at least make it through today.

We’ve all been through a prolonged, year-long trauma that included stress, conflict and novel concerns. It’s exhausting to have things upturned abruptly, to have to make so many decisions, and to face uncertainty or fear.

On top of that, if you lost a loved one to COVID or to something else, broke up with a spouse or partner, disagreed strongly on values issues with family members or friends, causing a rift in important relationships, or had any other life-changing event or struggle coinciding with a worldwide pandemic and national political and social strife that you may have strong feelings about…

No wonder you’re exhausted.

So are people who are coming to me now for healing sessions. We are doing energy work, like Emotional Freedom Technique. We are clearing trauma with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. I am listening, witnessing their pain and validating their trials.

And I’m telling them to do a few things that I am going to recommend to you, if you too are emotionally exhausted.

• Give yourself a break. Understanding that you are going through a lot, or have just been through a lot, offer yourself compassion and kindness. Pat yourself on the back for getting up and accomplishing one thing, even if you need to lie down after that.
• Don’t resist. Fighting against reality takes a great deal of energy and it’s unnecessary. Accept that things are as they are, THEN decide what you would like to do that’s positive, creative and caring toward yourself or others.
• Allow your feelings. When and where appropriate, let it out. Be willing to feel feelings in your body and be with them until they move. We are not meant to stagnate or hold things inside. Resisting or denying feelings is like holding a beach ball down under water – it’s difficult and tiring, perpetuating the exhaustion.
• Identify what depletes you. Personally, I had to ditch social media. It stirred up too many feelings in me that left me emotionally drained, without benefiting me enough to make it worthwhile. What depletes you that you can stop engaging in?
• Identify what nourishes you. For me it’s being absolutely alone. It’s quiet and the absence of requests being made upon my person. So sometimes I get away, alone. Just a day (or two) is refreshing. What nourishes you that you can give yourself now or in the near future?
• Sleep deeply. Emotional exhaustion can be helped with sleep. Good sleep. Deep, peaceful sleep. Tonight, get really comfortable. Diffuse lavender oil or inhale another relaxing scent. Play this Healing Meditation for Deep Soul Rest , by my friend Alise, through earbuds in your ears or a bluetooth speaker. Drift off for as long as life (i.e. kids, dogs, a job) allows.