There's A Reason Why You're So Tired.
It isn't your imagination. Chances are, your energy is flagging lately, even if you have felt fine up until now. Even if you have
felt generally safe and job secure over the last year, there's been a big freakin' pandemic raging just outside your front door. Not
to mention, a considerable amount of social and political angst.
From a somatic or body-oriented viewpoint, your body and the bodies of the people you love, have been under a constant barrage and inescapable attack. You know it's there, and it is a difficult adversary to completely evade. COVID and its nine million iterations. Even when you are doing well and feel like you have this whole deal figured out, your body and mind have survival simulations running in the background. All the time. There's a place in your mind, maybe even outside of your conscious awareness, that has been running in overdrive around issues of safety and survival for almost a year. This is anxiety doing what it is actually designed to do--trying to keep you safe. That shit takes a lot of energy to finance. Sooner or later, you're going to feel it and start coming up empty. You may have felt it come and go in waves and then there are times when you, yourself, come to a complete halt. Or want to.
felt generally safe and job secure over the last year, there's been a big freakin' pandemic raging just outside your front door. Not
to mention, a considerable amount of social and political angst.
From a somatic or body-oriented viewpoint, your body and the bodies of the people you love, have been under a constant barrage and inescapable attack. You know it's there, and it is a difficult adversary to completely evade. COVID and its nine million iterations. Even when you are doing well and feel like you have this whole deal figured out, your body and mind have survival simulations running in the background. All the time. There's a place in your mind, maybe even outside of your conscious awareness, that has been running in overdrive around issues of safety and survival for almost a year. This is anxiety doing what it is actually designed to do--trying to keep you safe. That shit takes a lot of energy to finance. Sooner or later, you're going to feel it and start coming up empty. You may have felt it come and go in waves and then there are times when you, yourself, come to a complete halt. Or want to.
You Might Be Struggling To Find Motivation, Even If That's Never Been A Problem Before.
Lately, many of my clients have been presenting with concerns about lack of motivation. My practice is peopled by successful, driven, highly motivated folks. Perfectionists. Strivers. Lack of motivation isn’t an issue they find themselves confronting on the daily. Or are comfortable with, either. In fact, for a lot of people I work with, doubling down on work is often perceived as self-care. Working hard in a world that is threatening to fall apart pushes back on the parts of life outside our control and busies our minds. I’m not saying it’s healthy, I’m just saying it’s common. When lack of motivation and procrastination does come up, many will tend to blame themselves. “What’s wrong with me!?” “Why am I being so lazy?” “How can I fix this?” “This isn’t me!"
Sooner Or Later We're Going To Hit A Wall.
Here’s the thing, when we run ourselves into a wall, we’re eventually going to notice. And. And it’s not as simple as that, really. My clients have been tutored in deeper self-care over time. Self-care that goes beyond working out at the gym an extra hour, or getting a massage. Not that we’re all able or willing to get any of that help today.
Self-care on the level that makes a difference is the kind of self-support that soothes and restores more deeply. And it is a daily endeavor. Super helpful. This year, though, we’re not just managing our day to day lives and challenges, great as they may be. We’re in the midst of a global muck up right now. We’re running a marathon. This thing might have seemed like a sprint the first few months, but we know better now. We’re in this together and we’re in it for the long haul from the looks of it. We certainly haven’t crossed any finish lines yet.
When you’re running on empty and it sneaks up on you, then you’re going to start to stall out. You’re going to be low on energy. Low on motivation. Find yourself procrastinating. And feeling bad about it. You’re going to have a harder time finding the passion and meaning in your work. In life, even. You’re going to want to avoid that feeling, that uncomfortable I-don’t-have-the-answer feeling. Things are going to drag a little. One of the things dragging might be you.
Self-care on the level that makes a difference is the kind of self-support that soothes and restores more deeply. And it is a daily endeavor. Super helpful. This year, though, we’re not just managing our day to day lives and challenges, great as they may be. We’re in the midst of a global muck up right now. We’re running a marathon. This thing might have seemed like a sprint the first few months, but we know better now. We’re in this together and we’re in it for the long haul from the looks of it. We certainly haven’t crossed any finish lines yet.
When you’re running on empty and it sneaks up on you, then you’re going to start to stall out. You’re going to be low on energy. Low on motivation. Find yourself procrastinating. And feeling bad about it. You’re going to have a harder time finding the passion and meaning in your work. In life, even. You’re going to want to avoid that feeling, that uncomfortable I-don’t-have-the-answer feeling. Things are going to drag a little. One of the things dragging might be you.
Resiliency Can Be Cultivated.
Human beings are designed, in general, to be resilient. We’re survivors, even in the moments we aren’t actually thriving. We adapt. And you’ve been adapting like crazy already. Adaption takes energy. Sustained energy. A whole lot of it. Sooner or later, we end up tired. And slow. That's not the same thing as losing your resiliency.
We’re also community oriented. Connection oriented. Even the more introverted of us aren’t as suited to varying levels of isolation as we might imagine. Zoom meetings are probably not going to provide the deeper sense of connection humans have built their resiliency on down through the ages. There may be people, family, and friends primarily missing from life right now. Ways in which you nourished yourself without really thinking about it, might not be available to you today. Not in your preferred forms. You may have been sustaining yourself for a long time without adequate nourishment. I’d be willing to wager we all are. We’ve been getting by on crumbs. It’s remarkable, really, even if it’s not entirely sustainable.
We’re also community oriented. Connection oriented. Even the more introverted of us aren’t as suited to varying levels of isolation as we might imagine. Zoom meetings are probably not going to provide the deeper sense of connection humans have built their resiliency on down through the ages. There may be people, family, and friends primarily missing from life right now. Ways in which you nourished yourself without really thinking about it, might not be available to you today. Not in your preferred forms. You may have been sustaining yourself for a long time without adequate nourishment. I’d be willing to wager we all are. We’ve been getting by on crumbs. It’s remarkable, really, even if it’s not entirely sustainable.
There Are Ways To Feel Better. They're Probably Not About Pushing Through And Working Harder, Though.
In addition to the deep work of self-growth, trauma and relationship healing, anxiety and depression reduction,
some of the focus I have with clients is inevitably in the development of a deeper awareness of what makes life work for you and turns you on. Fires you up in the face of everything. Even in the midst of the chaos. Most especially in the midst of this moment in time. Finding a way to explore this for yourself can carry you through. Talk to friends, read, walk in nature, journal, paint or draw, even. Seek out depthful healing conversations with people like myself, who are trained to support and be curious about the things that will make your life flow better and feel better. Especially feel better. That’s where all the juice is. For real.
some of the focus I have with clients is inevitably in the development of a deeper awareness of what makes life work for you and turns you on. Fires you up in the face of everything. Even in the midst of the chaos. Most especially in the midst of this moment in time. Finding a way to explore this for yourself can carry you through. Talk to friends, read, walk in nature, journal, paint or draw, even. Seek out depthful healing conversations with people like myself, who are trained to support and be curious about the things that will make your life flow better and feel better. Especially feel better. That’s where all the juice is. For real.
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