Are you feeling resigned to your current situation? Sometimes we become so stressed that we reach a point of feeling emotionally numb and stuck. Whether you are suffering from sexual addiction, betrayal trauma, or marital problems, you could be so unsettled with your current situation that there are too many feelings to process and you feel overwhelmed. It feels easier to “check out” or disassociate. All of these scenarios point to red flags that could lead to your stress eventually manifesting itself physically in your body—increased blood pressure, fatigue, headaches, panic attacks, anxiety, heartburn, inability to sleep—to name a few. It could also be precursor symptoms that ultimately lead to depression.
When you are at your lowest and feeling emotionally numb, it becomes easier to isolate and disengage. Netflix, your bed, and comfort food might sound like the prescription you feel you need in this situation. Actually, you need the opposite. You need to engage with others, even if it is just a phone call to check in with a friend to let them know what you are facing. You also need to move your body. When we exercise, our brain becomes stimulated with hormones that make us inevitably feel better. Force yourself to take a walk, if even just around the block. Comfort food—ice cream, chips, fast food—is certainly an easier choice but not the better choice. Socially engaging, exercising, and eating better are three choices that you are absolutely in control of. Another is getting enough sleep. I can’t tell you how many clients share with me the levels of stress they are handling. As soon as I ask them what their sleep patterns are as of late, they share that they get only 4 hours of sleep per night and I immediately know the first situation that they need to change!
Next time you are feeling numb emotionally and stuck, run through a quick list of your social connections, eating habits, exercise attempts, and sleep patterns. I would also add how much caffeine you are having and whether you are engaging in any self-care to the list of questions. Stop feeling stuck—if you live in northern Colorado (Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor, Loveland), contact Mending Hearts Counseling to find out how to get unstuck!