Why can't I take it anymore, and where/how can I find more energy?
The body is a solid and sensitive piece of machinery that needs to be handled well in order to function optimally. On the one hand, it is incredible what the body can withstand, and on the other hand, it needs to have its needs met in order to have enough energy and vigor to support us in everything we want to participate in.
Some of the points below will feel like a matter of course; interestingly enough, this does not mean that we meet these needs on a regular basis. That in itself can be quite interesting, and there are good reasons for it that are rooted in the body and psyche. Let's start with the physical aspect before we gradually move further into the body.
Sun and fresh air
Have you ever noticed how it feels to get out in the fresh air? It can be as simple as going out with the rubbish or taking a quick trip to the shop. Or maybe just open a window and take a deep breath. Our bodies are made to be outside, and in addition to having a cleansing effect, the body makes vitamin D when we get sun on our skin. We need sun and fresh air to keep our energy up. Did you know that during the Spanish flu, one of the treatments was to put the patients outside in the sunshine? Read more about the use of sunshine in the treatment of viruses here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4504358/
Breath, water, and nutrition
A human can survive 2-3 weeks without food, a couple of days without water, and only a few minutes without oxygen. BUT, to live well, we need all three. We need good, healthy, and nutritious food, sufficient water, and access to oxygen (preferably fresh air). How is your breathing right now? Does it feel okay to take a breath? How does it feel to take a breath or not? Breath, water, and food are obvious sources of energy and vigor if we give the body good food, clean water, and sufficient breathing space.
Movement
How much do we need to move? Well, the greatest beneficial effect of physical movement comes when we go from zero to something. Some of my most delicious "exercise trips" have been crossing the yard to take out the rubbish and then taking a detour around the house on the way back because my body likes to be outside. I'm not saying it's enough, but in a stressful everyday life, we don't need the extra stress associated with the "we must exercise" mantra. Does your body want to stand up an extra time or two? Can you lift your feet off the floor ten times and feel your stomach tighten? Zero to something <3.
Listen to your body
Have you ever felt like you have to go to the bathroom but let it go because you just have to finish what you're doing? How many times have you been hungry, but then you just want to…? Many of us are so used to not listening to our body that we hardly hear what it is telling us it needs. Getting water when we need it, going to the bathroom when we need it, and being able to rest when we need is self-love in practice. Does the body need to stretch its arms in the air? Does it need to rest? Can it be allowed to? How does it feel to be allowed to?
Suppressed emotions
In a society that focuses a fair amount on productivity and performance, it doesn't take much before we set our own feelings aside in favor of showing that we are good enough. The problem with that is that we have to spend energy suppressing these feelings. This is energy that we cannot use for other things. Of course, there are times when it's not appropriate to feel our emotions, and the body is built to endure that. It's when we don't let them out at all that it starts to eat away at the body. And, while it may feel scary and/or uncomfortable to feel our emotions, it takes less time and requires less energy to feel them than to suppress them. I know, it's scary and uncomfortable.
Persistent stress/pressure
Are your shoulders up around your ears, and you just can't seem to lower them? When we are in situations that stress us, over time, it will drain the body of energy. The body puts important functions on hold while we take care of what is stressing us, and if the stress does not end, the balance will never be restored in the body. This is a huge drain on energy.
Activated survival stress
You may have heard of fight, flight and freeze responses. When we feel threatened or come into situations we cannot handle, the body goes on alert to survive. This is an involuntary and completely natural reaction in the body that is designed to save our lives and which the body tolerates well in the short term. But since we often suppress emotions and reactions rather than feel them, the body can get stuck in survival stress. Hans Selye introduced his stress model in 1963, where he describes how serious long-term stress can be. The body uses up its resources for survival, and this affects our health in many ways. One of the symptoms is exhaustion.
Stored traumas, big and small
Can you remember as a child a situation where you were not understood and/or heard? It may feel insignificant now, and at the same time, the body is a fine-tuned machine that is designed to feel and release emotions and reactions. Since we often learn early on to suppress what we feel, we may live under constant stress and may even still be in survival mode after an event that we don't actively remember; chances are we all have small and/or large stored traumas in the body. This is why therapy needs to focus on the somatic, i.e. the body. The body holds onto the emotions and stress until it can safely be felt. Safe can mean that we feel welcome to share, that we can bear to feel what we have inside, and that the body (nervous system) picks up that sharing/feeling is not a new threat. This is a sensitive process that should be allowed to move as slowly as the body needs. We need to get used to noticing what the body is telling us, respect boundaries that come up, and notice which thoughts appear along the way. It can be good to have experienced support when you start such a journey.
Do you need someone to talk to who can take what you feel and can guide you in the process? Send an email to kontoret@terapi-for-deg.com to make an appointment. The first session is USD 25,-