The 6 causes of Emotional Exhaustion

Not all forms of psychological discomfort have to do with suffering; for example, with the one that makes us feel depression or anxiety disorders. Although it may seem counterintuitive, there are times when what hinders our ability to be happy is the lack of significant emotions and feelings.

Thus, not all people who come to psychotherapy do so because they are suffering from emotional pain; some seek professional help because what they experience is emotional exhaustion, which is something else.

In this article we explain what they are the main causes of emotional exhaustion and several tips to deal with it and get over it.

What is emotional exhaustion?

In the field of psychology and mental health, the term "emotional exhaustion" is used to talk about a state of lack of motivation to get involved in any complex activity in the medium or short term, and that is usually linked not to fatigue from having made a physical effort, but to a feeling of apathy; the individual stops considering interesting, fun or exciting activities, even if this affects negatively to the quality of life of the person who experiences it and makes them enter a vicious circle of boredom.

The harmful consequences of emotional exhaustion can be diverse, because there are many ways to experience this psychological phenomenon. In addition, this fact makes many people get used to living with this element of their day to day and they do not identify as something that harms them, without realizing that they should do something to improve their situation.

However, one of the most common effects of emotional exhaustion is engaging in problem behaviors performed to feel something, on the one hand, or to force yourself to attend to pending tasks and responsibilities, neglecting your own mental health.

• Related article: "Emotional psychology: main theories of emotion"

Main causes of emotional exhaustion

Now that we have seen what this psychological problem consists of, let's go over the main triggers of emotional exhaustion:

1. Work stress

People who are psychologically "burned out" by work suffer emotional exhaustion with a lot of frequently, as they tend to experience intrusive thoughts about their job responsibilities and this prevents them from enjoying any situation related to their free time.

2. mood disorders

Several mood disorders, such as major depression, give rise to a feeling of emotional exhaustion, lack of motivation and a feeling of hopelessness regarding what may lie ahead the future. In turn, this phenomenon leads the person to a series of routines that reinforce the existence of the disorder: greater predisposition to develop addictions, sleep problems, lack of hygiene staff etc

• You may be interested in: "Major Depression: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment"

3. Social isolation and/or lack of exposure to stimulating activities

On the other hand, emotional exhaustion can also be caused by repeating over and over again a series of routines linked to monotony and the lack of novel elements; for example, it happens a lot in those who barely leave home. This lifestyle causes the affective flattening typical of certain mental health problems to appear., and lead the person to adopt a passive attitude by not "connecting" with activities that really interest them.

4. neurological problems

There are neurological pathologies that have emotional exhaustion as one of their first symptoms; for example, certain types of dementias. However, in most cases, this is not the cause, so there is no reason to assume that it is a disease that affects the brain. In any case, It is important to go to therapy so that a diagnosis can be made.

• Related article: "Neuropsychology: what is it and what is its object of study?"

5. Financial problems

In a similar way to what happens with work stress, the anxiety generated by feeling in an unsafe economic situation makes people feel guilty for simply pretending to enjoy a hobby or for wanting to rest. The result is a state of constant emotional exhaustion, which occurs even in those who are unemployed and apparently do not "work" much.

6. dysfunctional perfectionism

Although it may seem strange, there are people who feel emotionally exhausted even though they don't seem to stop working and are very involved in a project. This happens a lot in those who suffer from a form of dysfunctional perfectionism: socially prescribed perfectionism, which is the one in which you try to reach an ideal of perfection that is imposed on us from outside, and in which we do not really believe.

• You may be interested in: "The 3 types of perfectionism, and how they affect us"

How to combat emotional exhaustion?

As long as the main cause of emotional exhaustion is not neurological (for example, a disease neurodegenerative), we can apply habits and routines to our day to day that will greatly increase the chances of solve the problem; however, the most effective measure to return to normality is to go to psychological therapy.

Taking this into account... What to do in the face of emotional exhaustion? Apply these tips:

• Follow a regular and well-defined sleep schedule: the fact of sleeping well is an emotional stabilizer.
• Go completing a personal diary daily, to identify your emotions and the dysfunctional actions you take to try to manage them.
• Include in your schedule the realization of a new hobby that may interest you and apply yourself to it even if at first you feel that at that moment you do not feel like it. Express your feelings more and give your loved ones the opportunity to give you support.
• Avoid drug use or your entire motivation will start to revolve around addiction.
• Disconnect from work outside of working hours (so you stop feeling like you can't focus on your well-being).

Why go to psychotherapy for emotional exhaustion?

As we have seen, there are several causes of emotional exhaustion and, in addition, these can interact with each other and with the elements of the personality of each individual, It is important to have personalized psychotherapeutic help adapted to each case. In the consultation of a psychologist you can learn emotional management strategies, self motivation, time management, and self-discovery to know your values ​​and priorities.

If you are looking for psychological therapy to overcome emotional exhaustion, contact us.

At PSiCOBAi we can help you through face-to-face or online therapy sessions.